The transmission of dance choreography: a place where teacher’s and students’ corporeity is co-constructed

Abstract

Based on a six years longitudinal case study, this paper examines how students construct a corporeal knowing in dance as a teaching object within physical education (PE). The concept of «corporeity» is studied through the notion of «states of embodiment» («état de corps») with respect to a pragmatist approach specific to the world of dance. This longitudinal study is carried out with an experienced teacher, but having no experience in PE. It focuses on the personal «states of embodiment» he unfolds when transmitting an intended choreography to his students. The transmission of choreography in dance is a prototypic teaching task the teacher implements in all the lessons we observed. Results show that the intented dancing movement is co-constructed by the teacher and the students; moreover, the former, over the years, generates more and more learning conditions offering students with rich, sensitive and singular experiences that contribute to foster their «states of dance embodiment» («états de corps dansant»).