Teaching creative dexterity to dancers: critical reflections on conservatory dance education in the UK, Denmark and New Zealand

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of creative dexterity within the choreographic process and explores how contemporary dance conservatories are seeking to foster performers’ skills in choreographic collaboration. Through investigating the institutional strategies of the London Contemporary Dance School, the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, the Danish National School of Contemporary Dance and the New Zealand School of Dance, we examine how and why a dancer’s ability to flexibly adapt to different choreographic contexts is being sustained as a pedagogic goal within these conservatories. This has involved reviewing the curricula of these institutes and interviewing key institutional decision makers. In acknowledging the highly competitive market for dance graduates and the ever‐shifting demands of a career in dance, it would appear these institutes are seeking to design their curricula to support the creative dexterity of their graduates. Through the identification of creative dexterity as a valued graduate attribute, and the locating of it within each curriculum, this paper provides a theoretical platform from which future research might examine the efficacy of such curricula designs.

Keywords:

• contemporary dance
• choreography
• collaboration
• education
• creative dexterity
• conservatory pedagogy
• dance graduates
• institutional strategy

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the participants of this research for their contributions to this study and research funding provided through the University of Auckland.