Proposal for a Centre of Excellence in Dance Research, Performance and Education

Pro

Proposal for a Centre of Excellence in PROPOSAL FOR A Dance Research, Performance and CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN DANCE RESEARCH, PERFORMANCE AND EDUCATION Education

Prepared by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

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Proposal for Center of Excellence in Dance Research, Performance, and Education Introduction Historically, dance has been a central aspect of the integrated Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. Founding dean, Dr. Maurice Van Vliet recognized this and hired Dorothy Harris, U of A professor emeritus, in the first PER faculty. She helped develop the base of the dance program the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation has built upon for our academic classes today which includes, modern, jazz, ballet, folk, history, study of dance for children, composition, technique, social dance and various other offerings, many with an emphasis for educators and future teachers. Further, she established the Orchesis Dance Group, based on the previous work of Margaret H’Doubler. To H'Doubler, dance was a vital force in the total development of the individual, and the Greek name orchesis implied the combined sciences of movement and gesture. Her idea of dance was to foster social improvement, physical well-being, and artistic enrichment, to realize the Greek ideal of balance between the intellectual, the physical and the spiritual. Dance could both express and foster a generous social spirit that could be passed onto other communities. Subsequently, the name "Orchesis" was used by other North American colleges and universities for their extracurricular dance groups. By the late 1960s, Orchesis groups numbered over 200. It is unknown how many Orchesis groups exist today. Dorothy Harris, a disciple of H'Doubler, and graduate of the University of Wisconsin, founded the U of A Orchesis group in 1964.

This proposal intends to build upon and advance the earlier visions of Maury Van Vliet and Dorothy Harris, not only emphasizing that dance is a central aspect of the integrated Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation and a vital force in the total development of the individual. Through this proposed center for dance and research, the aspects of fostering community interaction, integration, and artistic enrichment through dance education in tandem with graduate research are presented and discussed.

Vision and Mission The proposed center aims to use an existing area, dance, that, through the integrated faculty model, can contribute significantly to the national and international scholarly profile and achievement of the Faculty.

The proposed center is further aimed at connecting research and community service components to the initiatives of an embedded undergraduate certificate in modern dance instruction and the development of graduate studies in dance at the faculty into a coherent and visible dance program that will attract undergraduate and graduate students as well dance researchers to the Faculty. Consequently, the proposed center will provide the faculty with a very useful vehicle for achieving the strategic priorities of exemplary student experience, collaboration and integration, and differentiation through innovation.

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

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Alignment with the Faculty Strategic Plan In its vision the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation aims to create and share best understandings and applications of physical activity and leisure. One of the strong areas of physical activity at our faculty is dance. In addition, dance contributes to the diversity promoted by our faculty adding a dimension of physical activity in addition to sport and exercise.

This proposal is further aimed at improving the creation and sharing of understandings of dance through research and application of dance through performance and education.

Consequently, the proposed center is aligned with the strategic priorities presented at the faculty strategic plan will be well aligned with the faculty strategic priorities of collaboration and integration as well as differentiation through innovation.

Collaboration and Integration: Orchesis dance group provides existing excellent opportunities for experiential learning through research, teaching, and performance opportunities. It particularly allows undergraduates to part take in dance research through performance and choreography.

Consequently, Orchesis should be one of the 'living labs' at our faculty. To serve this strategic goal, however, the administrative position of Orchesis needs to be officially established as a program to be a part of the proposed center for an improved visibility and credibility. The proposed center can then provide the basis for the application, development, and transfer of dance knowledge that is unique to a faculty of this type.

The proposed, integrated center would make our faculty unique among the physical education/kinesiology faculties in North America where dance education is located primarily within arts faculties. However, the focus of these dance departments is on educating professional dancers whereas the focus of our center would be defined more broadly including research focusing on dance education at schools and dance instructors and dance students at the commercial, recreational dance school industry. In addition, as Orchesis, as 'a living lab,' is not a professional dance company, it provides unique experiences for students and faculty to explore and apply research into practices in an educational setting without the commercial pressures of the professional dance world.

Consequently, the emphasis is more in education, not narrowly on high performance, theatre dance.

Through its integrated model of research, performance, and education the proposed center can increase the national and international profile of the faculty as it can attract and host visiting scholars as well as serve as a means to publicize the research done by the faculty.

Differentiation through Innovation As noted before, the proposed center (as a part of the coherent dance program at the faculty) will be innovative and leading dance research center within the integrated physical education and kinesiology programs through North America. Consequently, with its unique focus on dance research, performance and education also in recreational

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

3 settings, the center will distinguish the faculty from our competitors. For example, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill, University of Western Ontario, or University of Waterloo do not have any dance programs and thus, our faculty would in a strong place to attract students interested in studying dance at a major, research led university. In this sense, establishing a center with a focus on dance research and research-led dance practice is an innovative initiative with a potential to re-define the field of study encompassed by the faculty. The center will also engage researchers from several areas (e.g., adapted physical activity, leisure studies, dance, socio-cultural studies) of the faculty and will thus, contribute to collaborative research and research application at the faculty. Finally, through the center, it is possible to translate the research knowledge the broader academic and dance communities.

Vision: To establish a center dedicated to creating, sharing, and developing existing dance research and performance through student education and faculty research.

Objectives and Goals: 1. To facilitate conduct of dance research • To provide opportunities for dance research in a 'living lab,' • Orchesis for the faculty researchers • To provide opportunities for dance research for graduate students in dance • To provide undergraduate research opportunities through participation in dance performance in a 'living lab' • To invite national and international dance researcher to our faculty 2. To provide opportunities for dance performance 1. To continue to support Orchesis as the performance company that provides opportunities of research in choreography and performance 2. To continue to support Orchesis as the performance company that provides opportunities for graduate and undergraduate applied research participation in dance performance 3. To invite national and international choreographers to develop choreographic and performance aspects of Orchesis 4. To develop further the community collaboration in performance 3. To facilitate dance research and performance through research led education • To integrate research findings in applied settings of teaching, choreographing and performing in Orchesis • To organize research based workshop for continual education for Orchesis and community instructors, choreographers, and dancers • To transfer research knowledge to local dance community through panel discussion, seminars, and workshops.

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

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Programs and Services The center will house a full range of programs and services designed to create increased visibility and opportunity for dance research, dance performance and undergraduate and graduate participation in dance research and performance. These programs and services will be structured around the three key areas of dance research, dance performance and students participation. The center directors will be in charge of delivering these programs.

1. Research Purpose The center will host an integrated research team of dance researchers led by Dr. Pirkko Markula. The team will work together with the choreographers, dance teachers, and dancers to developed new knowledge through dance research. The center will have access to dancers and choreographers through its ‘living laboratory’, Orchesis dance group, where the researchers can undertake applied dance research to improve dance education, dance training, dance performance, inclusiveness of dance, dancers’ health, and dance as a cultural, artistic practice. The researchers would work alongside the dancer, choreographers and teachers during training, rehearsals, and performance creating a living laboratory environment. The researchers would also disseminate their research results through panel discussions, workshops and other events.

The director of research at the center will develop a comprehensive research plan for the center and will also provide a plan for research funding for the center targeting tri-council funding from SSHRC and CIHR. Goals 1. To engage dance researchers in investigations in living laboratory of Orchesis Dance Group 2. To educate choreographer, teachers and dancers to include research knowledge into their everyday practices 3. To actively obtain funding for dance research 4. To actively recruit postdoctoral fellows in dance 5. To disseminate research knowledge to communities of choreographers, teachers, dancers, and researchers of performing arts.

Target market The primary target market will be the choreographers, dancers, and dance teachers at the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. The secondary market will be the Edmonton dance community. The research dissemination will also target the national and international dance research community through publications.

Partners Possible research partners for the center will include researchers within the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, The Body, Movement and Culture research group

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

5 (PER), The Arts Based Research Studio (Faculty of Education), the Steadward Center, and the Glenn Sather Center.

2. Performance Purpose Within performing arts, including dance, the performance constitutes the research output at the university settings. Consequently, the center will facilitate the annual performance organization for the Orchesis Dance Group. It will also actively engage in collaboration with the Edmonton dance community to look for collaboration between the Orchesis Dance group and other Edmonton based dancers and dance groups.

Goals 1. To facilitate the organization of an annual Orchesis performance.

2. To look for opportunities for closer performance collaboration with the Edmonton dance community.

3. To facilitate invitations for visiting dance practitioners to the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation.

4. To facilitate international exchanges with performance groups and choreographers at the universities the Faculty currently has Memoranda of Understanding (e.g., Shanghai University, Beijing Sport University, Otago University, Norwegian School of Sport).

Target market The primary target market is the students and faculty at the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. The secondary target market is the Edmonton dance community.

Community partners Brian Webb Dance Company Citie Ballet iDance Mile Zero Good Women Dance Collective KO Dance Projects University partners Campus Recreation 3. Education Purpose The Faculty of Physical Education has exiting undergraduate course selection designed to for dance education for elementary teachers as well as a previous concentration in dance within the BPE degree. The center will as the site for performance and research experience for these students. In addition, the Faculty currently has 7 graduate students in

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

6 the area of dance and the center is planned to provide research, choreography, and performance opportunities for these students.

Goals 1. To provide opportunities for undergraduate students to perform and thus, research dance.

2. To provide opportunities for graduate students to choreograph, perform, and conduct research in dance.

3. To provide ongoing opportunities for mentorship to undergraduate and graduate students interested in dance research and performance.

4. To provide opportunities of international students exchanges.

Target market The primary marked is undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. The secondary market is student from Faculty of Education, Faculty of Arts, or other faculties at University of Alberta interested in dance performance and research. A third market is international student exchanges with the Universities with which the Faculty currently has Memoranda of Understanding (e.g., Shanghai University, Beijing Sport University, Otago University, Norwegian School of Sport).

Partners The Body, Movement and Culture research group, iDance, and Campus Recreation within the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation.

Governance, Administration and Operations Governance: The authority for the creation, funding, and management of center rests with the University of Alberta. The university, from the recommendation of the center directors, will appoint an advisory committee. The advisory board will approve the long-term business plan and review the annual reports, budget and yearly audited financial statements of the center. The members of the advisory board will include 10 representatives of various stakeholders of the center including academics at the university with expertise in dance as a performing art and community partners.

Suggested Members of the Advisory board: Nora Stowell Dorothy Harris Brian Webb Franรงois Chevennement Elena del Rio Diane Conrad Linda Rubin Lynn Mandel Fern Snart

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss

7 Management: It is proposed that the management of the center is shared between two existing Faculty of Physical Education academic staff members. This would require a change in their workloads to complement the additional duties from managing a center.

Director of dance research: Pirkko Markula (30 teaching, 30 research, 40 administration) Director of dance performance and education: Tamara Bliss (60 teaching, 10 research, 30 administration) Facilities and Location: It is proposed that the center will use the existing office space for the directors and the existing studio space for choreography and education. However, as a part of the Faculty, it should have priority in space provision and funding structure similar to other research centers at the University.

Operations: Recreation Services (formerly Campus Recreation) is currently the financial umbrella under which the Orchesis Dance Group reports. Orchesis registration, funding, contractual employees such as part time teachers/accompanists, equipment payments, space usage and rentals are all currently handled through the Recreation Services (Campus Recreation).

Financial Plan To be completed.

Compiled by Pirkko Markula and Tamara Bliss