Australian Dance Research

Dancing between Diversity and Consistency

Dancing between Diversity and Consistency: Refining Assessment in Post Graduate Degrees in Dance, aims to refine a code of assessment for postgraduate research studies in dance in Australia, encompassing the two primary modes of investigation, written and practice-based theses, their distinctiveness and their potential interplay.

Conceiving Connections

Conceiving Connections is a three year-study (2002-2004) which builds on Unspoken Knowledges—the partners’ earlier research into choreographic practice. It aims to increase our understanding of dance audiences by addressing problems that have been identified by the dance industry as critical to its viability among the contemporary performing arts in Australia. The project is seen as a significant initiative in arts-industry related research.

Unspoken Knowledges

The Unspoken Knowledges research addresses problems which beset the dance industry at its most creative level—the methodology and practice of the craft of choreography. It is applied research, in that it is original work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge with a specific application in view. It is also strategic basic research, in that it is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge which will provide the broad base necessary for solving recognised practical problems.

Australia Dancing

The Australia Dancing portal, hosted by the National Library of Australia, provides users with access to both current and historical information about dance in Australia.

The Australia Dancing portal grew out of the directory to the Australian Dance Collection which made accessible selected Australian dance resources held in some of Australia's major research collections. The creation of the directory was an essential component of Keep dancing! an Australia Council funded initiative between ScreenSound Australia (the National Screen and Sound Archive), the National Library of Australia and the Australian Dance Council —Ausdance Inc.

Thinking in Four Dimensions: Creativity and Cognition in Contemporary Dance

The e-book, Thinking in Four Dimensions: Creativity and Cognition in Contemporary Dance, edited by Robin Grove, Catherine Stevens and Shirley McKechnie, has just been launched in Melbourne. It is one of the results of the research undertaken in the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance between 1999 and 2005.

This is the first book to address the cognitive processes that underpin the creation of new works of contemporary dance. It illustrates in full colour, via video clips and photos, the complex processes on which the research was based. This is a peer-reviewed publication with contributions from dance artists, psychologists and philosophers.

Shirley McKechnie wishes to acknowledge the important support provided by dance industry partners over the six years of the research: The Australian Choreographic Centre, The Australian Dance Council (Ausdance) and the Australia Council.

Thinking in Four Dimensions is an innovative e-book available as dynamic PDF files which can be downloaded. The e-book is available as either the whole book or as individual chapters. In addition there is a print-on-demand version of the book, with black & white images, available through the University of Melbourne Press

Australia-New Zealand Research Conference

Conference Proceedings: Dance Rebooted: Initializing the Grid

Deakin University, 1-4 July, 2004

Published by Ausdance National on behalf of the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia, December, 2005

Dance Rebooted: Initializing the Grid brought together five international keynote speakers and 75 delegates from Australia, New Zealand and around the world to focus on the sustainability of dance practice and research.

Asia-Pacific

Education and the arts research project in Singapore

The National Institute of Education in Singapore has established a Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice. The centre’s objective is to provide research that can be used as the basis for educational policy and decision making. To meet this goal, the centre will have many researchers. It is the largest and most extensive educational research unit in the Asia-Pacific Rim, and was established by the Singapore government to study and develop a strong future-oriented agenda for Singapore. The goal is to develop a context for research that leads to innovative educational outcomes in Singapore schools <www.crpp.nie.edu.au>.

Dr Stephanie Burridge is working with a team of researchers in a project titled Creativity: Representational Praxis in Artistic Domains.