Evolution Of The Private Dance Sector: A Reflection Of Pubic Choice
The private dance sector can be traced back to the early 1700’s where the first dance educators were employed to teach the social graces of the time. Since then the creation of the modern private sector has evolved as a reflection of public choice and individual and the collective demand for elitism. The private sector nowadays incorporates private dance schools running as a local businesses where students may learn grace and discipline amongst other things without the expectation of professionalism and conservatoire schools associated with the local opera or ballet company, created as a potential and direct stream of elite standard students tailored and educated with the style and attitudes of the company.
Private dance schools now cater to a larger range of students than ever before. Owning and running a dance school can be a lonely endeavor as many schools are locally situated within similar regions and the competition, in Australia at least, can be quite fierce at times. Often an ex-professional dancer or a college graduate will embark upon opening a dance school with either little knowledge of the pedagogical aspects of teaching or on the other end of the scale have a lack of experience in the field itself causing an imbalance and leading to a lower quality of school and incorrect methods, principles and values of dance being taught. Knowledge of the physical side of dance, have a below average demonstration, an ill preparedness in the curricular knowledge, not know how to effectively deal with parents, how to teach students of different ages and capabilities. The private dance sector is abundant with ex-professional dancers who, although may have considerable amounts of performance experience and knowledge of their field, can perhaps lack the required pedagogical knowledge needed to appropriately teach. Dancers who have had successful careers and have themselves, achieved and excelled in excellence within their respective field of dance often feel confident, in their own right, in their capacities as a teacher. It is this mix of impatience to complete a degree, confidence in their subject knowledge and demonstration and the manner of teaching “as they were taught”, which leads to various outdated, and occasionally unethical, educational practices are being passed onto the new generation of dancers.
On the other hand, college graduates who may have exceled in their academic studies and have built a confidence in themselves may lack can also lead to incorrect dance practices and values being passed onto future students. Access to various degrees and courses such as the RAD teaching qualification courses as an example and teacher/dance educator conferences like The National Dance Educational Organization, which is an example of an organization that regularly promotes evolving knowledge and discussion within the private dance community through conferences and seminars create more available opportunities than in the past, so it is the responsibility of the dance teacher and business owners of such institutions to constantly seek to improve upon their teaching methods; to educate themselves in the constant flow of new updating research and methods by attending and discussing the context of conferences and courses and conducting their own research.
Personally, I feel as though there could also be more of an emphasis and awareness placed on the pedagogical side of teaching within dance schools as often the ideal outcome of the school is the physicality of the dance itself but many students themselves later go on to teach at some point during their lives. Learning about the history, qualities and skills needed to teach is a valuable life skill itself and would also add an alternative perspective in assisting the physical aspect of dance with the school.
