Abstract:
Postgraduate dance students are often presented with alternative pedagogies within their
tertiary education. These pedagogies can both affirm and challenge their reality practices as
they teach in the dance studio context. The distinction between dance education and dance
training is made clear, as these postgraduates reconcile their new pedagogical understandings
with years of engrained dance studio practices. With these challenges in mind, this research
asks: How have postgraduate experiences of dance education influenced three dance
educators’ teaching practices within the private dance studio context?
Valuing constructivism and threshold theory this thesis examined three postgraduate student’s
perceptions of teaching in the dance studio context. Of particular interest were the thresholds
of understanding that these postgraduate/studio teachers passed through as their studio teaching
practices were reflected upon (Meyer & Land, 2005; Buck & Rowe, 2014)
This qualitative research interviewed three postgraduate students who were also teachers in
dance studio context. After the semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this study
revealed three main themes, being; postgraduates do cross thresholds of understanding that are
at odds with dance studio expectations; translating new understandings is difficult when
pedagogical agency is withheld; and teaching may be seen as a type of performance. The
significance of this study and these findings is found in the realisation that there are challenges
in shifting pedagogies when parents and students, and studio managers have clear expectations,
and that reflecting upon and changing ones pedagogy is a challenge that needs to be better
understood if we are to improve teaching and learning practices within studio contexts.