About

Dance in the public sphere and the phenomenon of dance in galleries and museums are changing the way dance artists and cultural institutions make, present and archive ephemeral, performative art, blurring lines between ‘dance as art’ and ‘dance as participatory activity’. This multidisciplinary practice‐as‐research enquiry investigates the practice of community dance as a type of ‘curatorial practice’, questioning what new knowledge and possibilities arise if the craft of thecommunity dance artist is approached as artist‐curator. For the field of community dance, a visionary practice that emerged in the 1970s, this innovative way of thinking re‐situates the practice away from ‘art as product/object/performance’ that defines much theatrical dance, giving it a fresh identity as a participatory art. To date, it has not been considered from a curatorial perspective, so this research offers original scholarship in the field of community dance and connected fields of participatory arts and curatorial practice. Situated in the new Creative District in Woolwich, South East London, identified as an Arts Council England ‘Cultural Destination’, one aim of this part‐practical enquiry is to curate a community dance project towards a public ‘event of knowledge’. This intends to represent the practice’s dynamic, affective, kinaesthetic and relational characteristics and experiences, alongside the theorisation of two connected themes ‐ creative leadership (caring) and modes of presentation (sharing), questioning: What approaches to facilitation and collaboration effectively drive and support community dance as a curatorial practice? How do these approaches impact the role of the community dance artist? How can symbolic curatorial acts (performance) be supported with relational practice? What modes of presentation best characterise the identity of community dance? This research draws on my 15‐year portfolio career as an artist‐educator‐researcher, harnessing opportunities within Techne for collaborative, multidisciplinary connections with artists, institutions andcommunities.