The first issue of the Nordic Journal of Dance – Practice, Education and Research (NJD) was published in March 2010 and contains four essays by dance teachers and educators introducing their projects. In addition it includes three research papers discussing the experiential characteristics of dance training as well as the spatial and linguistic dimensions of teaching dance. Thus, the articles deal with various interests and projects related to learning and teaching dance. The Editorial Board is grateful to the contributing authors for generously sharing their experience and knowledge. Their input made it possible to comply with the Board's initiative to successfully launch and publish the first issue of the Nordic Journal of Dance.
NJD intends to be open to all dance practitioners and researchers and attempts to support a wide view on themes and procedures related to dance in the Nordic countries. For the second volume of NJD the Editorial Board suggested the overall theme of "Dance Practice in Society – Why and How". This topic relates to recent developments in dance: the rise in public visibility of diverse forms of dance, developments related to applied dance and the new concept and practice of social choreography.
The Nordic Journal of Dance, Volume 2, consists of three practically-oriented essays and three research papers, some of which focus on the proposed theme quite precisely and others more loosely. Among other things, the texts introduce artistic and pedagogic work conducted in different socio-cultural contexts as well as explore ways in which different genres and culturally diverse forms of dance are or can be taught in the Nordic countries. The practical essays by Venke Marie Sortland and Ina Coll Kjølmoen, Anamet Magven and Katarina Lundmark present community dance projects conducted within a Norwegian hospital setting and at a Russian orphanage as well as an improvisatory approach to teaching jazz dance. The research papers by Gun Román, Mariana Siljamäki, Eeva Anttila and Arja Sääkslahti and Leena Rouhiainen examine the |
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pedagogy of dance teachers teaching contemporary dance in Sweden and transnational dances in Finland. In addition they scrutinize the background influences of one well-known dance-related somatic practice. We hope you find the articles in this volume informative and enjoyable to read.
The wish of the Editorial Board is that the Journal continues to serve as an increasingly important publication in the context of dance art, dance education and dance research in the Nordic countries. Processes and products are best developed over time and through continued practice and increased experience. The Board is aware of the need to improve and elaborate on the Journal and has consequently made some revisions to the second volume. This time the layout is slightly different, hopefully making it easier for the readers to access the articles. The Board has also reorganized its work. Now each country's Board members are responsible for the local contributions made in the five Nordic countries they represent. In addition, the organizational and economic structures supporting the publication of the journal are currently being negotiated. There are plans for the Nordic Forum for Dance Research (NOFOD) to be asked to support NJD in addition to the other Nordic organizations that currently do so. This second volume is still financially reliant on the support of the Norwegian organization Dans i Skolen and the Danish organization Dans i Uddannelse. Additionally, in the near future, the Board expects to continue to collaborate with a publishing house and is searching for a suitable affiliation. Nevertheless, the Journal still needs to make itself known in the Nordic field of dance in order to have subscribers as well as authors contributing to its content. The Editorial Board is doing its best to help realize these goals.
Leena Rouhiainen
Issue Editor |
