Dance education in Singapore: Policy, discourse, and practice. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chua, Joey
• Is Part Of: Arts education policy review. Volume 119:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 53
• Page End: 71
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Dance education -- dance study and teaching -- dance talent development -- government policy -- Singapore; Arts -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 700.71
• DOI: 10.1080/10632913.2016.1163307
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1063-2913

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article provides an overview of dance education in schools in Singapore with regard to physical education, co-curricular activity, initiatives by the National Arts Council's Arts Education unit, and pre-tertiary and tertiary dance programs. In an effort to gain a better understanding of how well the official discourse and the reality of schooling in dance interconnect, a meta-analysis of published articles, conference papers, committee reports, and curricula was conducted. Situated within the larger sociocultural, political, and historical contexts, Singapore presents a curious case for probing the merits and limitations of research, policy initiatives, and policy implementation. In the conclusion, the author argues that the development of a coherent dance education in Singapore requires "fixing" three dilemmas—meritocratic schooling in dance, the ill-defined and exhaustive use of the term "talent, " and the uneven research that has not kept pace with the policy initiatives.