Challenges and Opportunities: Dance Education in the Digital Era

ABSTRACT

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, dance education, which is heavily dependent on a face-to-face model, had to change and continue in a virtual environment. How did the rapid adoption of online technologies affect tertiary dance educators' teaching? More importantly, what were the practical ideas and effective tools/strategies learned to move dance scholarship and practice into a post-pandemic era? This study investigates nine tertiary dance educators from Europe, Oceania, North America, and Asia, who conducted online dance classes during the pandemic. This study has utilized multiple sources of data (images, videos, and writings) from dance educators to explore the challenges, benefits, and innovations in the context of virtual dance teaching. Dance educators have shared their views on teaching dance online tools they have utilized as well as pros and cons with regards to different pedagogies and learning spaces. Findings indicate that the present online model will have a significant impact on future dance education. This article shares lessons and insights on tools, pedagogies, and strategies, which not only support dance education in a post-pandemic era but can also benefit other practice-based subjects at large. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.