Dance Dance Culture Culture

and the Curriculumand the Curriculum

South Africa: a country of South Africa: a country of great contradictionsgreat contradictions

Of beauty and ugliness, love and hate,

anger and hope, trust and mistrust and

A country in a period of exciting,

challenging and frightening transformation

BackgroundBackground Political change from minority-led, racially

and culturally segregated rule to a majority-led, multicultural democracy

Past ’apartheid’ policies excluded, disempowered and marginalised many, resulting in high levels of illiteracy, unemployment, poverty and social dysfunction.

A new democratic government A new democratic government has brought the opportunity for has brought the opportunity for

designing a radically new designing a radically new curriculum which includes:curriculum which includes:

Arts and Culture Grade 0 – 9

and

Dance Studies Grade 10 – 12

Curriculum PlanningCurriculum PlanningContext, considerations, concerns and

constraintsAccommodation of local needs (and

especially cultural diversity) as well as global needs

Tensions of conflicting economic, political, social, cultural and educational imperatives

ContextContext Transformational Outcomes-Based

Representation from all races, genders and stakeholders

Change in the hidden curriculum from colonially imposed Christian National Education to African Renaissance emphasising“Ubuntu” - humanism = human rights, social justice, equality and democracy

ConsiderationsConsiderationsRedress the pastPromote a culture of human rights and

justice Ensure access, inclusion, equality,

multi-culturalism, gender equity Be sensitive to issues of indigenous

knowledge

ConcernsConcerns Representative writing groups unequal in

capacity Broad participation process slow Contested terrain, protect turf Tension between local very different

contexts vs national standards Tension between integrated African

approach and Western discipline-specific approach

Tension no. 1Tension no. 1

African Arts

Integrated

Communal

Part of daily life

Inclusive

Western Arts

Discipline Specific

Celebrate Individual

artist

Experts

After decades of colonialism, After decades of colonialism, anything hinting of European anything hinting of European imperialism, such as classical imperialism, such as classical

music or ballet, was considered music or ballet, was considered suspect.suspect.

“Excellence” considered a politically “Excellence” considered a politically incorrect word of exclusionincorrect word of exclusion

At the same time, the spirit of cultural At the same time, the spirit of cultural inclusion required that classical inclusion required that classical

music and ballet not be excluded and music and ballet not be excluded and that access to these art forms be that access to these art forms be

made available to those who were made available to those who were denied such access in the past.denied such access in the past.

The challenge - to accommodate The challenge - to accommodate all culturesall cultures

Permeate cultural bordersChallenge cultural assumptions in

unique ways. Acknowledge evolving of cultures

African dance puristsAfrican dance purists Tampering with culture and heritageArtificial appropriation; superficial

application; vandalising the essence of the form

Preserve dances in their original form - remaining true to their origin, function and meaning and as generational transmission of histories and ways of life

Traditional DanceTraditional Dance

Ask for permission to use rituals and traditions on stage

Tension 2Tension 2A number of imperatives seemed to be in

conflict with each other:

Social reconstruction emphasising cultural, social, personal goals

Economic reconstruction emphasising global competitiveness, high skills and knowledge, job creation

Hotly debated questionHotly debated question

What should schools teach?

Should it be:

about arts and culture?

through the arts?

or in the arts?

Which imperative could we serve?Which imperative could we serve? Cultural Previously the basis for stereotyping, discrimination,

prejudice Should transmit and preserve culture Promote cultural awareness Celebrate cultural diversity

Political Advance ideology of the ruling party Promote nation building

EconomicEconomic Induct into discipline-specific knowledge towards tertiary

training & a career?

Develop dance literacy to build informed audiences?

PersonalNurture and develop creativity, resourcefulness, confidence

and self-esteem; promote healing

Social Develop social interactive skills – the ability to communicate,

share, care, lead, follow, negotiate (very important in a new democracy)

Instrumentalist ApproachInstrumentalist Approach

Arts as a vehicle to teach across the curriculum Holistic learning, vibrant toolBUT No progress beyond the scribble/dabble stage Deny accumulation of economic or cultural capital, or

entry into the discipline-specific knowledge hierarchy and thereby reproduce marginalisation.

Violates the right to excellence Explorations within limited pedestrian vocabulary

soon boring Undermining dance as an respected and autonomous

subject worthy of a place in the curriculum

ConstraintsConstraints

i) what the country can afford (class sizes 40- 60)

ii) who could teach the learning area and

Iii) how much leeway the timetable would allow.

Partial SolutionsPartial Solutions

Reconciliation - cater for all Eclectic Arts and Culture curriculum

includes the arts separately and together, reaching across cultures

Our curriculum is overloaded

New PossibilitiesNew Possibilities

The Dance Studies Grade 10 – 12 Curriculum is structured under the umbrella of choreography and includes a major dance focus and an outcome on indigenous dance.

Focus on creativityFocus on creativity

African dance has become part of the formal and non-formal curriculum, influenced by, and influencing, other dance forms

Unique emergent SA cultureUnique emergent SA culture

Country’s transition is impacting on everything - interesting times – new world opening up

Innovative artists experimenting with fusion

Empower the teachersEmpower the teachers

Massive teacher re-training

Generate new teacher qualifications

Cross Cultural DanceCross Cultural Dance

Avoiding ethnic-tribal stereotyping

ConclusionConclusion Richness of debate emerges from

‘difference’ Culture strongly emphasised throughout

the curriculum Not business as usual New horizons of expectations – new

possibilities Iterative process of trial, reflection and

adaptation Curriculum needs to be dynamic and

responsive

Dance is explodingDance is exploding No limits, no boundariesNo limits, no boundaries