Interaction of a Dance Teacher's Professional Identity Components

Abstract

The dance teacher takes care of the physical, psychological, spiritual and social development of their students in cooperation, promoting a sense of aesthetic and art, musical education, cultivating a sense of taste, and realizing a healthy way of life. Repeatedly a dance teacher becomes a role model. In order to work successfully in the profession, a dance teacher must be aware of the nature of his work. There are enough conflicting questions about the professional activity of a dance teacher, for example, what are the main professional functions, should a dance teacher also be a choreographer, or is managing a dance group/studio a self-evident professional duty? The answers must be found in the experience of dance teachers. The purpose of the article is to reflect an important stage of the specific research (Research of a dance teacher's professional identity) and to analyze the content of interaction between the components of dance teacher's professional identity. Research basis includes 95% of students from all higher education bachelor dance programs in Latvia. Approximately 11.38% dance teachers from Latvia participated in the research. Respondents were dance teachers with different education level, work experience, age, as well as a wide representation of genres. As a result of the research, the interrelationships and interactions of the dance teacher's professional identity components have been revealed and characterized.