Wholeballet education: exploring direct and indirect teaching methods

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore teaching methods for whole ballet in Korean ballet education. This study built upon a first phase of research that identified the educational content of whole ballet. Four dimensions were identified as the educational content: physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual. This study employed a qualitative research method to collect data through in-depth interviews (with nine teachers and six students) and observations (in four university technique classes). Ten teaching methods were identified and divided into two categories: direct and indirect teaching methods. The direct teaching methods included the following techniques: hands-on correction, intensive practice, firsthand demonstration, Q&A explanation and imagination stimulation. The indirect teaching methods included the following techniques: experience recommendation, reflective stimulation, musical sensation, milieu creation and character transference. The final phase of the study combines the first two phases and develops a replicable whole ballet education programme for implementation.

Striving for Perfection or for Creativity?

“…Beyond giving freedom within boundaries, autonomy was also described as supported by teachers who valued each individual; introduced variety and flexibility; and who were open to suggestions, criticism, and shared decision making rather than acting as all-knowing experts. These findings mirror accounts in previous dance investigations (Chappell 2008;Lussier-Ley and Durand-Bush 2009;Mead 2009Mead , 2012Watson, Nordin-Bates, and Chappell 2012;Choi and Kim 2015); however, this study is the first to link such behaviors to SDT (Ryan and Deci 2000).…”

“…Inspiration and imagery. Inspiration and imagery were spoken of as key ingredients in fueling a creative process, which is reflective of previous studies highlighting imagery as a vital creativity tool (e.g., Nordin and Cumming 2005;Choi and Kim 2015). As for inspiration, sources ranged from more obvious (e.g., watching performances) to abstract (e.g., fleeting visual impressions while traveling the underground) and could be unexpected ("strike from thin air").…”

“…To date, however, no studies have linked autonomy, or the other basic needs, to creativity in either dance or sport. At the same time, numerous critical voices have been raised regarding dance schools prioritizing technical perfection over creativity and joy (e.g., Morris 2003;Lakes 2005;Lussier-Ley and Durand-Bush 2009;Mead 2012;Choi and Kim 2015).…”

Untitled

“…Moreover, the use of indirect methods makes it possible to improve the artistic development of students. According to Choi and Kim (2015) these methods identify with the traditional pedagogic scope since they are predominantly focused on the teacher and they are mainly based on demonstrating and copying, thus agreeing with the opinion of the aforementioned authors. Likewise, Torrents et al (2015) revealed that limitations in instructions clearly conditioned the MARIA CUELLAR- MORENO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------…”

“…This would make it possible to identify their needs and to propose solutions which contribute to improving the quality of dance in schools. In this respect, we agree with Choi and Kim (2015) when they declare the importance of carrying out an investigation into the effective teaching methods connecting mind and body, and not only limiting dance as an unsatisfactory activity which lacks art and essence.…”