Competition in tertiary ballroom dance education in China: ‘a double-edged sword’

Abstract

ABSTRACT Presently there are approximately 50 million ballroom dancers in China, and over 100 tertiary institutions offering bachelor’s degrees majoring in ballroom dance. It was this context and the growth of tertiary ballroom dance education and the prosperity of ballroom dance competition in China that prompted this research question: What are tertiary teachers’ meanings of competition in tertiary ballroom dance education in China? In contextualising the study in China, the history of tertiary ballroom dance education and ecology of ballroom dance competition was outlined. Related to this were the various pedagogical approaches valued within Chinese educational institutions and ballroom dance contexts. A qualitative methodology was utilised in answering the research question. This study found that ballroom dance competition culture informed tertiary teachers’ pedagogy, students’ learning, and curriculum setting. This study posits that as ballroom dance continues to grow in China, tertiary ballroom dance education in China will require a more finely balanced approach to the role of competition within the curriculum, pedagogical approaches and assessment.