From the stage to the classrooms: artists and the incorporation of Spanish and flamenco dance into the general education

Abstract

The demand for finding solutions to the social challenges of the 21st century, characterized by uncertainty and rapid change, requires a reconfiguration of the school system. In this context, the arts can offer an opportunity to prepare citizens in a better way to face new challenges. Arts provide valuable competencies like creativity, identity and the creation of a sense of community, which can be especially beneficial when they derive from the autochthonous culture. However, the advantages related to learning Spanish and flamenco dance seem to be neglected by the general school system in Spain. The present study explores the perceptive and self-perceptive configurations of artists about the incorporation of autochthonous dance in school. A descriptive and non-probabilistic analysis has been performed by means of a semi-structured survey. The survey focused on first-person experience and the vision of reputed artists in the fields of study. The results shed light upon the general orientation for the design and implementation of autochthonous dance classes in school, the benefit of their inclusion in the curriculum for the community and for facing the challenges of the 21st century. Moreover, they indicate which are the most convenient stages of education for the introduction of the subject in order to ensure affinity with other teachers and their disciplines, as well as with the available infrastructure. Lastly, the results highlight the importance of the qualifications of the current dance teachers in the education system and suggest the present and future roles of dance artists in schools.