"Dance has connected me to my voice": The value of reflection in establishing effective dance pedagogy

Abstract

A variety of teaching pedagogies are used to teach dance which is now a compulsory core subject in the Arts and also taught in physical education. In this paper, I argue for the importance of a learner-centred pedagogy grounded in reflective practice. This forms a basis for developing a teaching approach that not only enriches students' artistic learning but develops their confidence as dancers and as people. Based on ongoing research with student dancers, I suggest that using reflective practice in teaching dance not only challenges dance educators to keep their pedagogy dynamic, but also creates a space in which teachers can respond more effectively to the needs of particular groups or individual students.