<p> This thesis analyzes Mark Morris' choreography for pedagogical purposes. It explores Morris' technique and style by investigating one of his most acclaimed works: <i>L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato</i>. Because this evening length piece offers a large selection of sections, a total of thirty-two, it provides many possibilities to investigate Morris' musicality, creative process, and style. The musical aspect of Morris' work is examined by focusing on how he often molds the dance to the musical score involving specific rhythms, canons and counterpoints. Analysis of his creative process investigates his use of individual and group work, with the implementation of complex choreographic systems. These contain intricate spatial and movement patterns and can reflect the musical structure of a specific composition or are created directly by Morris. Finally, the analysis of his style explores some of his characteristic forms utilized in <i>L'Allegro</i> with particular attention to detailed shapes and gestures, in addition to torso and foot work. For a greater insight, this thesis also includes interviews with Mark Morris, and some of his former company members who were part of the original production. These are Tina Fehlandt, June Omura, and Megan Williams. A second part of the thesis explores the pedagogical potential of <i>L&rsquo;Allegro</i>&rsquo;s material. The investigation is first conducted through the lens of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), and then through the lens of LMA adaptations for younger student populations, as utilized in the dance education field, by the New York City based Dance Education Laboratory and Seattle based dance educator Anne Green Gilbert.</p><p>

Šiame darbe nagrinėjama problema: kokių muzikinių gebėjimų ir žinių reikia šokio pedagogikos studentams studijų metu ir šokio pedagogams jų praktinėje, profesinėje veikloje. Tyrimo objektas – šokio mokytojų muzikinis ugdymas. Siekiamas darbo tikslas – analizuoti šokio mokytojų muzikinio ugdymo ypatumus per pasirinktą kokybinio aprašomojo tyrimo strategiją. Siekiant atskleisti tiriamąjį reiškinį, atlikta šokio pedagogikos studentų ir absolventų apklausa raštu, vykdyti giluminiai interviu, analizuoti šokio pedagogų ugdymo ir darbo gaires reglamentuojantys dokumentai, atliktos keturių tiriamųjų įstaigų studijų programų analizės. / The object of this research thesis is the musical education of dance teachers, i.e. which musical skills and knowledge are necessary for students of dance pedagogy as well as for dance teachers in their activities. The main purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate specific aspects pertaining to the musical education of dance teachers, including regulatory documents, curricula, needs analyses, and also the congruity of these aspects. Data were collected through a written survey of dance pedagogy students and graduates, in-depth interviews, document analysis of study programs at the four institutions of higher learning that offer dance education in Lithuania, and a review of documents, which regulate the work and education of dance teachers.

Dance faculty in higher education have various backgrounds and training ranging from professional dance careers to doctoral degrees in dance. This study sought to examine the ways background and training impact faculty members‟ pedagogical approach to a dance technique class in a higher education dance department. This study examined the pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge of participants through qualitative methods including interviews, observations, and document analysis. Six major themes emerged from the data: desire to teach, teaching focus, challenging students, planning and preparation, instructional methods, and assessment strategies.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between older women and contemporary dance in a choreographic project. I explore in what sense the participation in the project is of artistic value to these women and also what happens in the meeting between me as a researcher, the project itself and the women. The background of this study is a personal interest in age, body and dance as well as an ambition to change normative ideas about the dancer body through action. With a globally ageing population, I have an interest in highlighting an aging female body as a resource in the context of contemporary dance. The study is conducted on the basis of post-qualitative research and decolonizing methodology. The artistic practice is leading and is based on the experiences of the women who participate in the project. As a researcher, my participation in the practice is necessary. By articulating and visualizing the marginality of older women, dance discourses are deconstructed. With improvisation as a performative choreographic practice, transformative learning emerges among participants. The findings of the study show that older women are resourceful and have the capacity for change through dance. This can be achieved in interaction with others and can then be an artistic experience. The artistic and pedagogical values which are experienced by the women in relation to contemporary dance are self-determination, trust and a sense of community. Both individual and collective struggle emerge among me and the women as a force of action. I argue that age norms and bodily ideals in contemporary dance can be challenged by giving older women access to contemporary dance. By articulating and visualizing the experiences of a marginalized group, the meaning of the concepts of dance, body and age are deconstructed and new insights are created which challenge and broaden normative ideas about dance and the dancer body.

The Relevance of Dance in Folk Music Education The aim of this study was to investigate why and how dance and dance teaching can be relevant in educational programmes in folk music in Sweden. Many of these programmes include dance within them and that fact, in combination with my observation that there is an underlying cultural assumption that dance and music belong together, inspired this research. I wished to look at the function of dance within folk music programmes, and music teachers’ observations of how dance affects their students’ playing. The study has been conducted through qualitative interviews with four music teachers from different institutions, covering three themes: the purpose(s) of including dance in this kind of education, if and how they can see that the students have use for the dance knowledge in their playing, and how they look at the connection between dance and music in this genre. The result shows that there are several reasons for teaching dance as a part of educational programmes in folk music and also that the music teachers themselves use references to dance in their music teaching. These reasons can give dance pedagogues information about how some music teachers think dance is relevant and can be used in the planning of dance teaching. In conclusion, there is a discussion of how this study can be a part of understanding and developing pedagogy within the folk music genre.

The purpose of this study was to describe how mirrors affect contemporary dance pedagogy students’experiences of themselves. Empirical material was collected through semi-structured interviews with four dance pedagogy students at the School of Dance and Circus, and analyzed with the help of post-humanistic perspective and Lacanian mirror stage theory. The results suggest that mirrors are active agents that participate in several things, for example they create an evaluating gaze, objectification, alienation from the subject as a unity, experience of two-dimensional bodies and distraction. The results also suggest that the mirrors actively create afront and direction, and therefore they shield dancers from sensing their ‘inner selves’ as well as others in theroom, time and space. The feeling of success and mood affect the way dancers feel about their mirror images and themselves. In summary, this study stresses that the mirror, an object, is active and agentic, instead of thinking that the dancer is the only active part in the dancer-mirror relationship.

The description of a family tradition – a hermeneutic interpretation The purpose of this thesis is to deepen the knowledge of the description of a family tradition and how it can be analysed and interpreted as well as what a family tradition can consist of. The conclusion is that it can consist of more than just dance and music. The family members’ life circumstances, the social contexts, the use of the body, and the content of the repertoire are also described as important aspects of the family tradition according to my interpretation. To fulfil the purpose of the study, I have used a hermeneutic approach to examine the content of two texts (a magister thesis and a film) in relation to the research context, in which they were made, and to my preunderstanding. The thesis contributes to the field of dance pedagogy by offering an example of how a dance pedagogue can obtain knowledge about a repertoire and/or a tradition and thereby develop their understanding of what they pass on through their teaching.

The purpose of this essay is to inspire and find ways to incorporate different time signatures in jazz dance education. Through literature studies, a focus group and an own analysis leading up to the meeting with the focus group, I founded a base of knowledge, but also material to analyze. By comparing my different sources of information, I found that the different time signatures, have different qualities, but they are also affected by other factors such as the instruments, singing and how it is performed. During the meeting with the focus group, I also found that music and dance is personal and that feeling calm and secure with the music is important to be able to move freely to it. In the discussion I could see that there are a lot of ways that you can use different time signatures in jazz dance education. Some examples were to expand your musicality and musical knowledge, but also to highlight and use certain qualities in the different time signatures to develop your dynamic practice.

The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of intergenerational touch within dance education in upper secondary schools in Sweden, focusing on contact improvisation. In this study, interviews with dance teachers in four upper secondary schools have been used to examine teachers' ideas and choices regarding intergenerational touch in contact improvisation through idea analysis. This study explores how teachers relate to the no-touch discourse and the domain-specific ideology within the contact improvisation movement. It also examines what an ethical approach to intergenerational touch in contact improvisation within upper secondary education could be. The study shows that some strategies teachers use in relation to intergenerational touch could function to downplay or adapt to the no-touch discourse, but no causality can be proven. There is also a proximity between some strategies and the domain-specific ideology within the contact improvisation movement. An ethical approach to intergenerational touch requires teachers to be aware of influences from different idea systems and to be reflexive regarding their own history and basic assumptions. It also requires teachers to get to know their students well and be sensitive to them in every moment.

“it is like jumping down into a water-barrel”  – a study about dance pedagogues work with choreography in dance education This study examines how modern- and contemporary-dance pedagogues, in Sweden, work with choreography in their teaching. The purpose of this study is to through a phenomenographical perspective examine a selection of dance pedagogues perceptions of what the meaning of the phenomenon choreography has in their teaching. This is to hopefully contribute to an increased understanding of how choreography can be used in dance education. The research questions are How does three dance pedagogues perceive the usage of choreography in dance education? and Which pedagogical aspects can affect the teaching in dance? The study was researched through three semi-structured interviews which were processed and analyzed through Kvale´s interview-guide and Dahlgren’s &amp; Johansson’s phenomenographical method for analyzing. The results show three main categories of description that were distinguished; The student´s affect in the dance education, The teacher´s affect in the dance education and Knowledge from choreographic processes. Each category was perceived differently, yet many connected to each other. Though this is a small-scaled study, the variation of perceptions shows many different ways to recognize and understand choreography’s and pedagogy’s relation to each other. Further research needs to be done to verify if these factors are important to the bigger population of dance-educators. / <p>2023-05-05</p><p>Språk: Svenska</p><p>Praktiskt presentation. Geslatade del utav resultatanalysens tredje rubrik.</p><p>Stockholms konstnärliga högskola</p><p>Brinellvägen 58, Stockholm</p>