Searching for Dialogue in Dance Education

In her dissertation Eeva Anttila examines the possibility and meaning of dialogue in dance education. Combning various interpretive approaches, she brings into dialogue the voices of children, teachers, critical social theorists and others, along with her own voice.

Theoretically, the work is largely based on dialogical philosophy and critical pedagogy, especially on writings of Martin Buber and Paulo Freire. Anttila weaved together humanist and critical thinking and illuminates the significance of this connection for educational discourse.

Throughout the work Anttila builds up the argument for critical awareness about education and teaching, and art education. She points out how education neglect relation, imagination, play and art, and raises a concern for educating a conscious body.

Anttila claims thet teacher’s aspiration towards dialogue transforms teaching into inherently listening and encountering. In the closing section of her work, Anttila portrays the possibilities of dialogical life and illuminates how dialogue ties together the method and aim of education.