Emotional character: the prospects for a personality-based perspective on embodied learning in dance

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a reinvigoration of character as an object of psychological study. This article contributes to that reinvigoration by reviewing the use of the concept of ‘character’, considering whether the evidence supports the notion of ‘emotional character’ as a psychological construct, and suggesting new prospects for research on emotional character in embodied learning contexts such as the performing arts. Using the example of dance, it is argued that, while expertise requires training to develop concrete skills and good habits of mind to improve performance, becoming a dance artist requires something more. The performing arts communicate emotional ‘felt’ experience. The idea of emotional character describes an individual’s propensity to experience and express those feelings that create connection: to self, society, and the natural world. The aim of this essay is to remind those of us charged with the development of others that artistry goes beyond ability and that, in training, feeling is as important as thinking or doing.