Dance research and dance practice are developing steadily in the Nordic countries. Nordic Journal of Dance: Practice, Education and Research reflects this development and takes part in it by offering a forum for discussion and exchange. Practitioners and researchers representing various dance forms seem to be increasingly willing to engage in self-reflective processes and to share their reflections with others. Reflective practice and sharing experiences are first steps towards formal research. This issue illuminates this gradual process from practice to research quite clearly. The first article, a practical paper by Charlotte Fürst titled ”The Possibilities of Ballet and Floor-barre in Expanding Dancers’ Potential” illuminates an approach to ballet training that the author has developed during many years of professional practice. She has developed her approach based on her personal experiences and extended it towards supporting other dancers who have faced various challenges, including injury. Dancers’ comments are included and their experiences broaden authors’ perspective. This approach resembles the strategies used in practice-based qualitative research, where data collection can be very similar. The main difference between this kind of reflective practice and practice-based research is that in the latter data collection and analysis happens in a more systematic manner, and the inquiry process is set up by a research question and consequent methodological choices.
The second paper by Paula Salosaari, titled ”Perception and Movement Imagery as Tools in Performative Acts Combining Live Music and Dance”, illuminates a more systematic approach to practice-based research in the field of ballet. Here, the focus is also in expanding possibilities, now in the artistic and choreographic realm. In Salosaari’s project, data has been gathered during a series of workshops, and the author has used the participants’ feedback in developing her artistic approach. This article illuminates how practitioners can be researchers within their own professional practice. An academic institution and
heavy theoretical or philosophical emphasis are not always focal in practical, or artistic research. It can take place in artistic or pedagogical contexts and include a lot of contextual, practical description. This kind of research is accessible and relevant to practitioners.
The third article, titled ”The Embodied Teaching Moment: The Embodied Character of the Dance Teacher’s Practical-pedagogical Knowledge Investigated in Dialogue with Two Contemporary Dance Teachers” is also a practice-based research paper by a dance practitioner, Tone Pernille Østern. Here the systematic approach extends also to data analysis and use of literature, greatly informed by phenomenological philosophy. The author carefully leads the readers through her process of arriving at a thematic structure, based on the participants’ experiential accounts. This article shows how it is possible to generate deep understanding of a phenomenon through qualitative approaches to research with few participants. It also illuminates the connection between philosophy and embodied practice.
All articles in this issue are in English. This is the authors’ choice, and the editorial board will continue to discuss the need to publish dance related articles in Nordic languages. This issue also includes a book review by Cecilia Olsson, and information about exciting online resource, that is, conference proceedings of a global summit ”Dance, Young People and Change” that took place last summer in Taipei, Taiwan. These brief contributions are vital connections to the international dance community that I believe Nordic dance professionals appreciate greatly. I think that the scope of these articles touches our exciting field broadly and I sincerely hope that the readers find this issue interesting and stimulating.
Eeva Anttila
Issue Editor