Ethics and Aesthetics: The Artist-Educator and Choreographic Process

Abstract

Choreographers working in an educational setting often use student dancers as the instruments of their art. The inherent power dynamic of this relationship generates ethical issues that can affect the choreography and the learning experience of the student. At what point do choreographic decisions infringe upon goals for a moral, student-centered pedagogy? How do the traditional choreographer-centered dance-making process and the collaborative model intersect with curricular objectives? Examining these concerns from a choreographer's perspective can clarify the process of dance making in education and support choreographic pedagogy with a greater understanding of the power issues that exist in the rehearsal process.