Finding common ground: Dance studio teachers’ responses to cultural difference within rural towns in Aotearoa

Abstract

This thesis reports an investigation of cultural inclusion and social integration in dance studio contexts within rural towns in Aotearoa. Focussing on dance studio teachers’ perspectives and reflections, the key question driving this research is: How are dance studio teachers responding to cultural difference within their dance studio classes in rural towns in Aotearoa? In the 21st century, amidst growing tensions caused by Eurocentrism, Whiteness and discrimination, dance teachers are increasingly expected to function as agents of social integration for young people. In rural locations, dance teachers are significant to their communities, as they are central to young people’s feelings of inclusion and social integration through participation in dance. Within a post-positivist, qualitative ethnographic paradigm, semi-structured interviews were used to investigate seven dance teachers’ responses to cultural difference in their dance studio teaching practices. Following thematic analysis, four key findings emerged from the interview data. The first theme explores how the dance studio teachers may consider inclusion and socialisation relevant to dance studio classes. The second theme investigates how dance studio classes may be considered relevant to cultural difference by the dance teachers. The third theme discusses how the dance teachers may maintain an ethnocentric bias within their dance studio classes through denying, denigrating and minimising cultural difference. The final theme explores the ways the dance studio teachers may aspire to allow space for ethnorelative practices to emerge within the dance classes through accepting cultural difference, attempting to understand and adapt to cultural difference, and aspiring to integrate different worldviews. This research provides a critical reflection on the ways dance studio teachers recognise, reflect on and respond to cultural difference within their dance studio classes, particularly in the context of rural towns in Aotearoa. This study reveals the complexity of multiculturalism within dance studio classes and contributes to existing discourse and dialogue surrounding issues of inclusion and exclusion within dance education.