In order to PROMOTE THE PRESENCE AND GOOD PRACTICES OF DANCE in the Spanish state's Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Higher Education centers, the associations of dance professionals from nine autonomous communities, together with two collaborating entities, are developing REDE-State Network of Dance and Education. Project for Innovation, Management and Educational Research in Dance.
Dance has been a compulsory subject in general education in the Spanish state for three decades and plays a fundamental educational role in the individual and social development of students. However, dance is rarely practiced in schools, one of the reasons being the lack of training and qualifications of teachers.
In light of this situation, the REDE educational innovation, management and research project was designed, with the general objective of strengthening the presence of dance and dance professionals in general education by promoting good dance practices in Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Higher Education centres.
To achieve this objective, REDE is structured through a management team made up of nine professional associations, supported by two collaborating state entities and a management, communication and network coordination team.
The management team is made up of the following nine associations of dance professionals: APDC (Association of dance professionals of Catalonia), ADDE (Association of dance professionals of the Basque Country), APDCV (Association of dance professionals of the Valencian Community), Movimiento en red (Association of dance professionals of Cantabria), PAD (Andalusian Association of dance professionals), APDA (Association of dance professionals of Asturias), Association of dance professionals of Castilla y León, APDCM (Association of dance professionals of the Community of Madrid) and Unión danza visible (Association of professionals and users of the movement arts of the region of Murcia). In addition, we have two collaborating entities: ASSITEJ Spain. Performing Arts for Children and Youth and the Spanish Association D plus I: Dance and Research. The management, communication and coordination team is made up of APdC and ADDE.
Methodologically, the activities are established based on these four key actions:
- Identify and make visible the state agents and resources for good dance practices in schools.
- Provide advice, coordination and intersectoral cooperation between agents, institutions and
regional and state educational administrations. - Design and develop a pilot training plan for good dance practices in schools.
- Support research into the regulations and educational practice of dance in schools nationwide
school.
1st phase 2020 – 2022
In this first phase, the organic structure of the project was established and a series of REDE presentations were made in different national and international professional contexts in the dance sector. Also, during the 1st REDE Meeting, a common consensus document on dance in dance education was drawn up.
General regime sent to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. A questionnaire was designed and sent to detect dance projects in schools carried out during the period 2015-2022 and preliminary results were presented at the VII National and IV International Congress on Dance Research, organized by the Spanish Association D plus I: Dance and Research, in collaboration with the University of Zaragoza.
1st REDE meeting. Barcelona 2022.
1st REDE meeting. Barcelona 2022.
2nd phase 2022 – 2024
Following the positive evaluation of the first phase, a second phase has been initiated with the support of all eleven associations that make up REDE. It is expected that in this new stage, the artistic-educational dance projects existing in the school can continue to be identified and analysed in greater depth. And, in addition to continuing to present the project in different professional contexts and cultural and educational administrations, it is planned to hold the 2nd REDE Meeting at the end of 2023, organize training activities and produce a publication on the presence of dance in schools.
___________
In the hope that the network will expand, the Professional Dance Associations of the Autonomous Communities not yet represented and the State Associations are invited to join the challenge of jointly promoting the presence of dance and dance professionals in schools. For more information and suggestions, do not hesitate to contact REDE through the Management, Communication and Coordination Team: [email protected] either [email protected]
Coordinators: Gemma Calvet Villena and Alicia Gomez Linares.
