Merging the arts of song and dance: New methodical options for teaching students within the disciplines of song and dance

To learn, acquire knowledge, and develop skills is an embodied process. In this article, the authors argue that merging the fields of song and dance is dependent on a deeper understanding of how the mind and the body interact, and they utilize the concept of enactive cognition to explain these proce...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Johanne Karen Hagen, Anne Cecilie Røsjø Kvammen, Richard Lessey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences 2017-01-01
Series:InFormation: Nordic Journal of Art and Research
Online Access:https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/information/article/view/2013
Description
Summary:To learn, acquire knowledge, and develop skills is an embodied process. In this article, the authors argue that merging the fields of song and dance is dependent on a deeper understanding of how the mind and the body interact, and they utilize the concept of enactive cognition to explain these processes. The authors maintain that students need insight into these processes in order to improve their learning and, consequently, their performance. Retrospective examples taken from three educational situations within the musical theatre context elucidate the discussion of the concepts of alignment and breathing. These frequently used concepts are often a source of confusion and misunderstanding for the student. To alleviate this, a stronger, interdisciplinary dialogue among the singing and dance teachers who are involved in the genre of musical theatre needs to be developed. The authors suggest collaborative teaching as a means to develop the teaching methods and as the pathway to attaining a common base when integrating the skills of singing and dancing.
ISSN:1893-2479