«Når noko rart blir naturleg» Ungdomsskuleelevar si oppleving med deltaking i eit kunstnarisk danseprosjekt.

Abstract

Abstract In this article, the focus is on creative dance in school, democratic teaching and co-determination. Teaching dance in Norway has a low standing and corresponds to a small fraction of the curriculum’s intentions and goals. However, research indicates that students have a desire for greater involvement. The study, therefore, investigates what happens when secondary school students participate in an artistic dance project led by professional dance instructors. The students were expected to be active participants in the creation and performance of dance art. There was a particular focus on whether the students experienced co-determination, whether the pedagogical approach could be characterised as democratic teaching as well as what this meant for the students’ learning in the process. The methodological approach was qualitative, comprising personal interviews with 17 students who participated in the project. The analysis shows that most students had little experience with creative dance prior to the start of the project. They experienced the project as «strange and unusual» at first and «natural, fun and educational» thereafter. All students experienced co-determination. The dance project can be an example of democratic teaching, whereby students express an enhanced sense of opinion and attitude towards dance as an art form. It also indicates a possible way in which to realize the curriculum’s goals and intentions regarding dance as creative and aesthetic expression.