Core Elements in The Training of Upper Secondary School Dance Pupils in Norway

In Norway’s upper secondary schools, pupils can choose dance as their main subject of study in a programme designed to prepare them for higher education in general and, more specifically, higher education in dance. A committee selected by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training was appointed in autumn of 2015 and given a mandate to evaluate the structure of the programme and suggest changes that would increase its relevance. A reference group was selected to respond to the committee’s first draft in December 2015, before the draft was open to comments from the rest of the dance environment (spring 2016). The author took part in the reference group. In this process, several individuals representing the fields of education and professional dance argued that the traditional hegemony of the three scenic dance forms (classical ballet, jazz and contemporary dance) needs to be challenged as it no longer sufficiently prepares pupils for a career in dance. One could argue that new dance forms, personal expression, performative and collaborative skills are more in demand today. In her own teaching of contemporary dance in upper secondary school, the author has found it relevant to focus on what she sees as core elements in the training of today’s performers in addition to, and sometimes instead of, (traditional) technical exercises, especially early on in pupils’ dance education. She proposes that it would be beneficial to pupils to replace some of the technical training in the scenic dance forms with these core elements in a restructuring of the dance programmes in upper secondary education.