Dance teaching in HE: further thoughts on the possibilities of artistic citizenship for decolonial practice

Abstract

Building on my argument in a recently published book chapter, ‘Toward Decoloniality and Artistic Citizenship’ (2023), this article discusses how the concept of artistic citizenship could create a conceptual space for decolonial thinking for dance teaching within the Higher Education (HE) curriculum. This interrogation is informed by my role as a lecturer who teaches dance practice based on African dance styles and principles in UK HE. I argue that making artistic citizenship an explicit part of the critical framework for dance pedagogy creates a common vantage point for students of all cultural backgrounds and better conditions for their development as culturally literate artists who will work in globalised contexts. The concept of citizenship in relation to artistic practice can be used to generate a theoretical context for existing hybrid dance training in HE, which in Britain has evolved to reflect the multicultural nature of society. This theoretical context will support the research and practice of Black students and those of global majority heritage who require conceptual maps delineating how dance practices that draw on their cultural heritage have existed as part of professional practices, as well as enhancing the cultural literacy and political awareness of the whole student body.