Children’s Dance-Making: An Autoethnographic Path Towards Transformative Critical Pedagogy Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Loren Elizabeth Bucek, M.A. Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Christine Ballengee Morris, Advisor Vesta A. H. Daniel Shari Savage Susan Petry Copyright by Loren Elizabeth Bucek 2013 ii Abstract My dissertation, a self-reflective autoethnography, examines, analyzes, and interprets children’s dances created by seventeen nine- 11 year olds attending a Midwestern, urban elementary school. The significance of this longitudinal study is in the offering of a fresh perspective on children’s dance-making as a mode of embodied understanding and as a process for personal transformation in life. As a reflective practitioner, I observe and write data reflexively using dance narratives. I describe instances where child dance-makers construct personally relevant meanings that embody personal transformations not dependent solely on outside events or codified dance portraitures. Children negotiate inner experience with multifaceted sensory-play, feelings, ideas, themes, images, and structures through personally relevant dances that are created and interpreted within particular learning communities. This transformative act is at the center of why and how each dance made is an embodied act of knowledge-making and a result of preparation that is cultivated and defended privately by each person. It calls for pedagogical change in elementary school dance education practice to insure that spaces for this multimodal educational endeavor are embedded into educational policy, curriculum, and instructional practice. ii Dedication Dedicated to all of my students worldwide. For it is they who continue to inspire me. iii Acknowledgements No graduate student completes a dissertation on his or her own. Every Ph.D. is the collective sum of experience and collaboration between the student’s family, friends, colleagues, faculty mentors, and spiritual advisors. For years of patient support my gratitude goes to my life partner, Carol, and to my parents, Jerry and Josephine and sister, Celia. Thank you for standing beside me during the times that I wavered and for championing my lifelong passion to learn more. I remain most grateful to Dr. Christine Ballengee Morris, my faculty advisor, for her mentorship, support, and encouragement throughout this process. I would not have finished this dissertation without her perseverance and guidance. I thank Dr.Vesta A. H. Daniel and Dr. Patricia Stuhr who gave years of their time, tutelage, and friendship, and to Dr. Shari Savage and Susan Petry, for stepping in towards the end. These women truly understand the pedagogical term wait time. I also wish to thank all of my elementary school-age dance education students (1982-89, 1997-98, and 2006-2012), whose dance learning fascinated me and that fascination became the impetus for this study. With deep appreciation, I thank all who unselfishly offered their experience, wisdom, and courage. I remain in your debt. iv VITA 1978…………………………………… Bachelor of Science in Dance Performance and K-8 Teacher Certification, SUNY Brockport. 1980………………………………….... Master of Arts in Dance - Choreography, The Ohio State University. 1979 - 1980 …………………………… Graduate Teaching Associate, The Ohio State University. 1980 - 1982 …………………………… Company dancer teacher with Dancentral; dancer with Columbus Historical Dancers; performer with the New Mime Troupe. Columbus, OH. 1982 - 1990 …………….……………... Dance Educator, K-5 Columbus City Schools, Columbus, OH. 1980 - 1983 …………………………... Guest choreographer and professional school dance teacher. BalletMet. Columbus, OH. 1983 - 1987 …………………………… Co-founder, choreographer, dancer. Moving Arts Company, Columbus, OH. 1984 - 1988 ……………………………Company dancer and company manager. ZIVILI. Columbus, OH. 1990 - 1995….……………………….. Program Coordinator and Instructor, Dance and Dance Education Program; Dance education faculty on US Dept of Education research grant on multi-year project titled, Creative Arts Laboratory (CAL); Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY. 1991 - 1993…………………………… Consultant and Co-Author. Dance Education Inititive Curriculum, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, Minnesota. v 1993 - 1994…………………………… Teacher Educator, Dance Education Initative. Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, Minnesota. 1994 ………………………………….. Dancer. Spoke the Hub Dancing. New York City, NY. 1995 - 1997……………………………. Education Director, Tisch Center for the Arts, 92nd Street Y; Co-author of arts education grant supported by the Annenberg Foundation; Consultant with Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) and City Center in New York City, NY. 1997 - 2000……………………………. Graduate Research, Teaching, and Administrative Associate, Department of Art Education and the College of the Arts, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.; member of graduate faculty research team on Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge (TETAC) project supported by J. Paul Getty and Annenburg Foundations; Preparing Future Faculty Mentoring Program, The Graduate School, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. 2000 - 2006.…………………………… Dance Educator, 6-8, Arts IMPACT Middle School, Columbus City Schools Columbus, OH.; Program Coordinator, University of Rio Grande – Columbus campus, M. Ed. teacher education with a concentration on the Fine Arts. 2006 - 2012……………………………. Reading/English/Language Arts Specialist, 3-5, Columbus City Schools, Columbus, Ohio: K-12 Dance licensure, K-8 licensure, ESL Endorsement, Supervision Licensure; Adjunct Faculty, Departments of Education at Otterbein and Antioch universities. vi 2012 - present…………………………. Common Core Standards Teacher Mentor (Reading) in the Department of Leadership, Curriculum and Professional Development; Reading Endorsement, Columbus City Schools Publications 1. Bucek, L. E. (1992). Constructing a child-centered dance curriculum. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 3(9), 39-42. 2. Bucek, L. E., White, E., Mirus, J., & Paulsen, P. (1993, 1996 2nd ed.). The Minnesota dance education initiative curriculum guide. Golden Valley, MN: The Center for Arts Education. 3. Bucek, L. E. (1993). Essay II: Standardized testing for dance education. Impulse: InternationalJournal for Dance Education. 1, 85-88. Author. 4. Bucek, L. E. & Dils, A. H. (Eds.) (1996). American modern dance artist and pioneer, Doris Humphrey. Dance Research Journal, 28 (2). 5. Bucek, L. E. (1998). Developing dance literacy: Integrating motif writing into theme-based children's dance classes. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 69(7), 29-32. 6. Bucek, L. E. (2000). Making connections: Tackling literacy in and through dance experience. Synergy. Maryland Alliance for Arts Education. 7. The Power of Arts Assessment in Teaching and Learning, A Process Guide for Teachers in Ohio Schools. (2001) Columbus, OH: Ohio Arts Education Assessment Project, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education. Contributing author on dance assessment. 8. Bucek, L. E. (2004a). K-12 dance education policy, programs and research (1970-present) in the United States: A brief history. Taiwan Arts Education Journal. 9. Bucek, L. E. (2004b) Integrating dance into K-8 curriculum in the United States. Taiwan Art Education. vii 10. Priorities in Dance Education Research. (2004c). Bethesda, MA: National Dance Education Organization. Co-author. 11. Bucek, L. E. (2004d). Motif notation and dance making: Educational partners in an urban middle school. Journal of Dance Education, 4(2). 12. Bucek, L. E. (2006, Summer). The world is our stage: Dance learning and student inspiration. Ohio ASCD Journal, 9(2). 13. Bucek, L.E. (2011, April). Dance roundtable. OhioDance Newsletter. 14. Bucek, L. E. (2011, October). Where will we place our hope? Dance education in Ohio: The discussion continues. OhioDance Newsletter. 15. Bucek, L. E. (2012). Capturing movement highlights using motif notation by Charlotte Wile. Journal of Dance Education, 11(3). Book review. 16. Bucek, L. E. et al. (2013). Ohio’s academic dance content standards. Columbus, OH: Ohio Department of Education. Co-author. Visual Arts Exhibitions 1. Bucek, L. E. (1991). Figure Drawing. [Graphite on newsprint]. Macy Art Gallery, New York. 2. Bucek, L. E. (2003). Self Portrait. [Watercolor study]. Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, Ohio. 3. Bucek, L. E. (2011). Fish #1. [Watercolor study]. Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, Ohio. viii Awards 1. Bucek, L. E. (1987). School Board Commendation of Teaching Excellence. Columbus Public Schools, Columbus, Ohio 2. Bucek, L. E. (1987). Ohio Dance Educator of the Year. Ohio Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Akron, Ohio. 2. Bucek, L. E. (1987). Arts Fellowship for Teachers. Ohio Arts Council, Columbus, Ohio. 4. Bucek, L. E. (1989). Arts Fellowship for Teachers. Ohio Arts Council, Columbus, Ohio. 5. Bucek, L. E. (1990). Jennings Scholar Award for Excellence in Teaching. Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. 6. Bucek, L. E. (1995). Teaching Excellence Award. TC Student Senate, Teachers College Columbia University, New York. 7. Bucek, L. E. (2004). Jennings Scholar Award for Excellence in Teaching. Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. 8. Bucek, L. E. (2012). OhioDance Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of