Adolescent Dance Curriculum: Exploring Collective Leadership Through a Student-Led Project

This study utilized qualitative research methods to address the following questions: What are the experiences of teen dance students who engage in a youth-directed, collaborative creative project? How can these experiences inform the adolescent curriculum of Tanner Dance? The purpose of this research was to discover how female adolescents with previous dance training approach a youth-directed, cooperative project. The findings highlight the ways in which the hierarchical structure of dance inadvertently works against the development of youth leadership, ownership and agency. The research illuminated the effects of gender normative behavior and female socialization on youth's collaborative processes and their motivation for participating in dance. The process uncovered curriculum potential within Tanner Dance, a nonprofit dance school and arts education organization in Salt Lake City, Utah. The analysis is critical to helping dance educators in the program help students develop into independent artists and collaborative community leaders.

Adolescent Dance Curriculum: Exploring Collective Leadership in a Student-Led Project By Diana Timothy A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Community Leadership Westminster College Salt Lake City, Utah April 2017 2 Abstract This study utilized qualitative research methods to address the following questions: What are the experiences of teen dance students who engage in a youth-directed, collaborative creative project? How can these experiences inform the adolescent curriculum of Tanner Dance? The purpose of this research was to discover how female adolescents with previous dance training approach a youth-directed, cooperative project. The findings highlight the ways in which the hierarchical structure of dance inadvertently works against the development of youth leadership, ownership and agency. The research illuminated the effects of gender normative behavior and female socialization on youth's collaborative processes and their motivation for participating in dance. The process uncovered curriculum potential within Tanner Dance, a nonprofit dance school and arts education organization in Salt Lake City, Utah. The analysis is critical to helping dance educators in the program help students develop into independent artists and collaborative community leaders. 3 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the eleven brilliant dancers who made this research possible, and to Tina Misaka who inspired me to be a teacher and a leader. Acknowledgements Thank you to my family for their patience and ongoing investment in my success, to my mom who helped me proof-read several drafts, and to Tyler, who loves me for living loudly. 4 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Research Purpose…………………………………………………………………...1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………......1 Significance of Research……………………………………………………………….….1 Dance: Diverging Perceptions…………………………………………………….2 Adolescents: Stereotypes vs. Potential…………………………………………....4 Research Question and Project………………………………………………………........5 Community Organization and Curriculum Possibilities…………………………………..6 Study Limitations and Delimitations………………………………………………….......7 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...7 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature……………………………………………………………8 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..8 Root Causes for the Devaluing of Dance……………………………………………….....8 Effects of Neoliberalism on the Performing Arts and Arts Education……………9 Public Education and Dance………………………………………………9 The Arts vs. Neoliberal Economics……………………………………...11 Perceptions of Dancers…………………………………………………..12 Effects of Hyper-individualism on the Performing Arts………………………....13 Technology and Hyper-individualism…………………………………...13 Artists and Audiences as Hyper-individualists………………………..…14 Benefits of Formal Dance Training………………………………………………….…..15 Critical Thinking……………………………………………………………...….16 Creative and Innovative Thinking……………………………………………….17 5 Culture of Hierarchy in Dance…………………………………………………………...18 Collective Leadership………………………………………………………………...….20 Cooperative Learning…………………………………………………………....20 Group Creative Process……………………………………………………….…21 Negative Perceptions of Adolescence……………………………………………….…...22 Positive Youth Development…………………………………………………………….23 Self-efficacy and Empowerment…………………………………………………23 Autonomy and Intrinsic Motivation…………………………………………..….24 Engaged and Experiential Learning………………………………………….…..25 Youth Leadership……………………………………………………………...…25 Socialization of Adolescent Females…………………………………………………….27 Leadership and Gender…………………………………………………………………..30 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….31 Chapter 3: Methods…………………………………………………………………………….32 Research Context………………………………………………………………………...32 Participants…………………………………………………………………………….....33 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………..35 Process Summary………………………………………………………………...36 Researcher Role………………………………………………………………………….37 Analysis………………………………………………………………………………….38 Problems…………………………………………………………………………………39 Ethical Implications and Considerations………………………………………………...39 Validity…………………………………………………………………………………..40 6 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….42 Chapter 4: Findings…………………………………………………………………………….43 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………43 Hierarchy in Dance………………………………………………………………………43 Dance as an Outlet for Social Development……………………………………………..51 Influence of Female Socialization……………………………………………………….54 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….61 Chapter 5: Discussion…………………………………………………………………………..63 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………63 Implications………………………………………………………………………………63 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………..64 Providing Immersive Leadership Roles………………………………………….64 Supporting Social Development Through Dance………………………………..65 Developing a Collective Leadership Model……………………………………..65 Leadership Elasticity for Dance Instructors……………………………………...66 Limitations and Future Research………………………………………………………...67 Learning Objectives……………………………………………………………………...68 Personal Impact…………………………………………………………………………..69 References………………………………………………………………………………………..70 Appendix A: Parent Consent Form………………………………………………………………82 Appendix B: Minor Assent Form………………………………………………………………..84 Appendix C: Participant Consent Form…………………………………………………………86 Appendix D: Workshop Guide…………………………………………………………………..88 Running Head: Adolescent Dance Curriculum 1 Chapter 1: Research Purpose Introduction I have been a dancer since I was three years old. Kinetic energy speaks to me like no other language and I view the world through that lens. Growing up, my dance experiences offered me both structure and freedom, teaching the satisfaction of hard work and providing an avenue for creative expression. Most of my dance training took place at Tanner Dance, a non-profit arts organization housed within the University of Utah. This dance school's focus on creative process rather than competition, showed me the value of innovative and collaborative thinking. My classes taught me the discipline of modern dance technique, while offering opportunities for holistic growth. After high school, I went on to pursue a bachelor's degree in modern dance, where I was pushed to critically examine dance and develop my own artistic voice. I built life-long artistic and social relationships within the most supportive and innovative communities I've ever been a part of. I have a passion for passing on the rich, layered experiences that dance can provide. For the last 10 years, I have worked as a dance specialist for Tanner Dance, teaching classes, directing performances and designing curriculum. I especially love connecting with teenagers through the art of dance as they discover who they are and who they have the potential to become. My experience with dance has shaped the person that I am in more ways than merely defining my career path. Dance has been the avenue to developing critical life skills that have set me apart in education, job opportunities and in building relationships. Every day I witness these same successes in others who engage in dance. Through my interactions with youth, I see that dance is an outlet for in-depth creative interactions and emotional well-being. Significance of Research 2 Dance: Diverging Perceptions I have witnessed a disconnect between my personal experiences with dance and society's perceptions of the art form. Dance is portrayed in the media as an activity that requires endless hours of sweaty, grueling classes and rehearsals that conclude with a spectacular crowd-pleasing performance (19 Entertainment & Dick Clark Productions, 2005-present; Franklin, et al., 2010, Mark & Hytner, 2000). Dancers are depicted as slaves to their craft, demonstrating miraculous physicality in celebration of the music they move to; just take a look at ballet dancer Sergei Polunin's popular interpretation of "Take Me to Church" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctW0CkvdDI). Reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance (19 Entertainment & Dick Clark Productions, 2005-2016), have given top performers and choreographers a form of celebrity status, while Dancing with the Stars (Edens-Shaffer, et al., 2005-present) awards the title of ‘dancer" to already famous individuals. These shows define dance as an activity for elites, making the art form inaccessible to the general population beyond its commercialized existence. Despite the recent prevalence of dance in mainstream media, the reality is that attendance at live dance concerts is down (Kaiser, 2015), public schools struggle to keep rich arts programming in the curriculum (Ravitch, 2013), and dance remains within the realm of leisure activity (Timberg, 2015) rather than earning the respect and consideration of a serious career choice. There is a perception that trained dancers are not prepared for the demands of the "real world" and are unable to handle the skills required in other disciplines (Buckroyd, 2001). According to Kaiser (2015), developments in technology and the demands of our neoliberal market economy heavily contribute to the diminishing support of all performing arts. Dance is a marginalized method of entertainment and a delegitimized area of committed study. Our society 3 values increased income over human experience, and dance just doesn't seem to fit that economic mold. However, each young dance trainee gains a cadre of valuable skills that will set her apart from their peers. Dance develops dedication, collaboration, creative problem solving abilities, discipline, dynamic physicality, confidence, sequencing and memorization, and social connectedness, to name just a few (Carter, 2004; Lanfredi, 2013; Oliver, 1997). These skills are applicable in any life pursuit, both professional and personal. Our rapidly changing and interconnected world requires individuals who can think critically, creatively and collaboratively to solve problems (Murphy, K. P., et al., 2014; Wagner, 2012). My research aimed to explore how a project created by and for youth could potentially develop several of the skills needed to succeed in today's society: critical and innovative thinking, self-efficacy and collaborative leadership (Cochran & Ferrari, 2009; Goleman, 1999). While the benefits of dancing are many, the outline of most formal training curriculums for youth still involve the teachers or directors envisioning the project and the students carrying it out. This tradition of passing along repertoire and technique is often perpetuated rather than challenged (Sööt, A & Viskus, E., 2013). Dancers become the vessels for distributing another person's ideas, i.e. the choreographer or director, rather than portraying their own identities or impressions (Buckroyd, 2001). Modern and creative dance genres have taken a step back from this format as the dancers are often included in the process of creating movement and making choreographic choices (Gilbert, 1992; Cannon, et al., 1996). However, in youth curriculum this process is still ultimately driven by the adults in charge. As a teacher, I understand that it is important for young dancers to learn to kinetically express the ideas of a choreographer and learn from expert perspectives, but youth also need to discover their own artistic voice and create 4 something that is completely their own from initiation to completion. This process helps to develop an empowered personal identity (Cochran & Ferrari, 2009). Dance can be an evocative medium for communication and understanding. "Empathy is at the heart of the profound and invaluable power of dance to communicate across any language. The root of the human capacity for compassion, empathy, is a physical as well as an emotional experience," (Johnson, 2012). My study explored the experiences of teens engaged in an empathic, collective process in an effort to discover their self-efficacy as artistic leaders. The process allowed the dancers to gain a deeper insight into their individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as a greater understanding and appreciation of each other. Adolescents: Stereotypes vs. Potential Our society views teenagers in a light that is more often negative than it is optimistic (Buchanan & Holmbeck, 1998; Prettyman & Gargarella, 2013). Research positions adolescence as a stressful, scary and damaging period of life. Subjects like eating disorders, teen pregnancy, peer pressure, and severe risk taking behavior dominate the literature (Anderson, 2015; Farb & Margolis, 2016; Hale & Viner, 2016; Kelly, et al., 2016). This substantial amount of problemfocused research combined with popular psychology result in fearful stereotypes that generate a general distrust of adolescents as being capable leaders and innovators. However, there is a growing body of research that explores the positive contributions and potential of adolescents; these studies illuminate the constructive outcomes from adolescents' community involvement and their passionate engagement in extra-curricular activities, as well as the unique perspectives that youth can provide when given the opportunity (Ben-Eliyahu, Rhodes, & Scales, 2014; Larson, 2006; Prettyman & Gargarella, 2013). My research informs dance curriculum by revealing what makes teens feel the most invested and empowered. 5 In Larson's (2006) discussion of positive youth development, she points out that youth are most engaged when they feel they have ownership of a project or experience. Self-directed learning is a successful way to motivate youth and sustain their growth (Larson, 2006). It is important that we educate young artists about their full potential as creative thinkers, and the contributions they can make to their communities. Youth need opportunities to imagine and complete projects that are meaningful to them. My research is significant because it reveals how dance curriculum is not currently providing youth with immersive opportunities for self-direction and decision making. Attention to the current hierarchical leadership structures in dance culture and the ways in which adolescent females form relationships is vital to successful pedagogical design. Research Question and Project My research addressed the following questions: What are the experiences of teen dance students who engage in a youth-directed, collaborative creative project? How can these experiences inform the adolescent curriculum of Tanner Dance? The purpose of this research was to discover how adolescents with previous dance training approach a youth-directed, cooperative project. The findings highlight the ways in which the hierarchical structure of dance inadvertently works against the development of youth leadership, ownership and agency. The research illuminated the effects of gender normative behavior on youth's collaborative processes, and their motivation for participating in dance. The process uncovered curriculum potential within Tanner Dance, and the analysis is critical to helping dance educators in the program help students develop into independent artists and collaborative community leaders. 6 I conducted a series of workshops with high school age students in the Tanner Dance Program. All the participants had several years of formal dance training, specifically in modern dance, including classes in technique, composition, improvisation and performance. The workshops provided a novel opportunity for these teenagers to engage in open group discussions and a creative movement process surrounding a theme that they identified. Rather than fulfilling my usual role as teacher/choreographer/director, my job was to facilitate the student initiated project. All creative decisions were made by the youth participants. As an observer of the process, I composed detailed field notes and analyzed the outcomes. Community Organization and Curriculum Possibilities The University of Utah Tanner Dance Program is a nonprofit dance school and arts education organization. It's mission, "creating worthwhile human beings, one dancer at a time," is carried out through a comprehensive pedagogy focused on promoting each individual (Tanner Dance Children's Dance Theatre Concert Program, 2015; http://www.tannerdance.utah.edu). The organization aims to provide equitable and excellent dance education, serving a large and diverse population of over 40,000 children and adults each year. A number of programs at Tanner Dance offer formal, disciplined modern dance training and opportunities for students to enhance their performing skills. While classes help develop creative problem solving skills through collaborative choreographic processes and multiple performing experiences build confidence, the organization does not offer instruction for youth to initiate, design and carry out their own dance projects, nor does it provide opportunities for teens to realize their leadership abilities. Although Tanner Dance is a pioneer in the world of creative and modern dance for youth, the adults envision and design all projects and eventually make all final decisions. 7 As a dance specialist and program director for Tanner Dance, I am deeply invested in providing holistic and enriching learning experiences for our students. I am particularly interested in working with middle school and high school age dancers. In order to fulfill the mission of "creating worthwhile human beings", I believe we should create opportunities for our students to discover their potential as independent artists and leaders. A successful curriculum is one that responds to the needs and interests of its students (Sööt, A & Viskus, E., 2013). Understanding those current needs can better inform future processes. Study Delimitations This research did not study the impacts of youth-directed collaborative creation on students with little-to-no formal dance training. The research did not address issues of race or socio-economic status, but focused solely on how these teenagers experienced an autonomous project as the next step in their dance education. Conclusion As a dancer teacher, I am dedicated to providing enriching experiences for youth that cultivate their artistic abilities, as well as develop skills that will help them have successful and fulfilling lives. In spite of distorted perceptions surrounding dance and negative attitudes regarding teenagers, I have seen the positive impacts of dance training on youth. My goal was to understand how an opportunity to engage in self-directed, collective leadership might add to the conversation about adolescent dance education, helping to create intelligent young artists. The findings of my research required an examination of the existing literature addressing the discipline of dance, youth development, female socialization, collaborative creativity and leadership. 8 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Introduction An understanding of the viewpoints surrounding dance, as well as society's perceptions and practices regarding teens, illuminates the significance of advancing adolescent dance pedagogy. In this review of the literature I examine the following themes: root causes for the devaluing of dance and opposing ideas, the culture of leadership in formal dance training, the potential of collaborative creativity, negative perceptions of youth, components of positive youth development and leadership, female socialization, and leadership gender norms. These themes help to answer my research questions: What are the experiences of teen dance students who engage in a youth-directed collaborative creative project? How can these experiences inform the adolescent curriculum of Tanner Dance? Root Causes for the Devaluing of Dance In our society, there is an ongoing argument about why art matters, why it should be funded and who should supply the funding (Smith, 2008; Timberg, 2015). The performing arts, dance in particular, struggle to cement their value in the public's eye, and reliable revenue is of major concern (Kaiser, 2015). Creative problem solving is disappearing from our nation's schools as success becomes more and more about passing tests (Ravitch, 2013, Abeles, 2015). In my experience working in public schools, dance is the last discipline attended to even among other art forms, due to restraints caused by education reforms. Society shies away from dance that is not commercially packaged or explicitly explained (Glass & Stevens, 2005; Kotler & Scheff, 1997). The literature shows that dance is devalued as a performing art, as an avenue for learning, and as a professional career. The root causes for this issue exist under frameworks of neoliberalism and hyper-individualism. 9 Effects of Neoliberalism on the Performing Arts and Arts Education Neoliberalism is a bipartisan concept that encourages a free market economy; public contributions and social services are replaced with privatization and deregulation (Bigelow, 2006). According to Hursh (2007), neoliberalism is a way of separating the expectations of individual citizens from the responsibilities of society: "For neoliberals, those who do not succeed are held to have made bad choices. Personal responsibility means nothing is society's fault," (p. 496). In other words, socio-economic status, education level and overall success are thought to be entirely the result of personal decisions - not circumstances generated by societal constructs. The effects of neoliberalism can be seen through privatization of the education system (Ravitch, 2013), and an unrestrained market economy (McKibben, 2007). Neoliberal policies define what kind of knowledge and skills are valued, and what types of careers and community involvement are considered productive, or, in other words, profitable. It propels economic structures that favor growth for growth's sake and shapes our cultural model of success (Kohn, 2010; Ravitch, 2013). The privatization of public education blocks opportunities for arts learning, and neoliberal economic ideals suppress the ability for the arts to sustain themselves financially. Public Education and Dance. Ravitch (2013) states that recent education reforms are really just a way to deliver the public-school system to the private sector. The implementation of the Common Core - a set of national standards for reading and math (Common Core State Standards Initiative) - has turned education into a moneymaking venture through the creation of charter schools, test prep materials, and professional training for teaching the new standards (Glass & Berliner, 2014; Kohn, 2010; Ravitch, 2013). According to Kohn (2010), national 10 standards result in uniformity and a lack of motivation for learning, as well as incite a culture of competition. A series of government policies such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), a policy that initiated full force standardized testing, and Race to the Top, a program which encouraged competition for school success, have created a system that requires measurable results and values quantity of rote knowledge over quality of learning (Hourigan, 2011; Ravitch, 2013). In this climate, it is difficult for schools to provide and support arts education; the culture does not allow for exploratory learning experiences that are not connected to the standardized curriculum. Therefore, our society is not cultivating art advocacy at a young age and students are much less likely to engage in the arts as adults (Abeles, 2015; Ravitch, 2013). In her article analyzing NCLB and arts education, Grey (2010) states that non-tested subjects receive less attention and funding for arts programming favors integration to improve other subject areas rather than highlight art as a separate discipline. Furthermore, Winner and Hetland (2000) contend, "arts educators should never allow the arts to be justified wholly or even primarily in terms of what the arts can do for mathematics or reading. The arts must be justified in terms of what the arts can teach that no other subject can teach," (as cited in Grey, 2010, p.10). In an effort to ensure the survival of creativity in schools, arts organizations have presented the benefits of arts engagement as directly related to success in other disciplines and the workforce. While this may be a way to gain entry, it may also perpetuate the devaluing of the arts in our society by labeling them as a means to an end (Logsdon, 2013). Stinson (1997) points out that because dance is offered only as an elective course in public schools, it does not appear to hold the same level of educational importance as required subjects such as math. These course designations have an effect on students' perceptions of what is worth learning. Furthermore, the current education system focuses on extrinsic motivators like 11 grades and test scores, a system that does not transfer well into dance class where inherent incentives generate positive engagement and progress (Stinson, 1997). The Arts vs. Neoliberal Economics. Our market economy is focused on efficient productivity, growth and monetary gain. But the performing arts fail to fit this mold. Worker productivity cannot be improved in the arts; therefore, inflation has a greater impact on the industry (Kaiser, 2015; Kotler & Scheff, 1997). "Musicians do not play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony faster every year, nor are any fewer dancers required to perform Serenade than when George Balanchine first created it in 1934," (Kaiser, 2015, p. 4). The production of art does not follow the same rules as manufacturing a car or a smart phone - making more of it faster does not improve the quality or the experience. The performing arts continually fight a battle between artistic effectiveness and economic efficiency. As time goes on, arts organizations require a steady increase in financial support to stay vital (Kaiser, 2015; Kotler & Scheff, 1997). A cycle begins of limited resources restraining the innovative abilities of arts programming, a sinking level of interest, and further reduced support. This conundrum creates the perception that artists do not contribute to the nation's economic growth. The view is that the arts always need to be rescued; hence they are not taking individual responsibility as propagated by neoliberalism, (Kaiser 2015). Arguably, the National Creative Industries Report shows that 2.9 million people are employed in arts related non-profit and forprofit businesses (Americans for the Arts, 2015). This report demonstrates that the arts do contribute substantially to the economy despite popular perceptions. Our economic system has affected arts and culture through sky-rocketing tuition rates that discourage students from seeking art degrees because they fear a lack of return on such a huge investment (Timberg, 2015). According to Luftig et al. (2003), jobs in the arts are scarce 12 and are often accompanied by a lower paycheck. His research explored the intentions of students pursuing art degrees, and found that despite the odds, the students were intrinsically motivated by a dedication to their art form, rather than economic security. It is interesting to note that part of this study was to inquire about the students' alternative career plans should a job in the arts not materialize. Perceptions of Dancers. Artists are often perceived as lazy because they spend their time doing something that is considered by many to be a playful, leisure activity (Timberg, 2015). Those who fully dedicate their time and energy to such an endeavor are viewed as elitist, turning the average individual away from supporting professional artists by sitting in the audience or funding their activities. Stinson (1997) also suggests that because many people experience dance as a liberating and pleasurable experience, it is labeled as an immature and unproductive indulgence. Employment in the arts does not fit within the design of a market economy dependent on individual sustainability. However, a recent survey of 24 businesses conducted by the University of Utah demonstrates that employers in Utah actually value creative abilities over related work experience when evaluating potential employees (The Finer Points, 2016). This survey also shows that the majority of Utah graduates with arts related degrees are able to find positions working in the arts, and most of those who work in an unrelated field still feel that their arts degree is beneficial in their profession. The survey results illustrate how arts learning develops valuable traits that do indeed transfer into real life experiences. A dedication to providing learning experiences that result in life success, was the motivation for my research. I designed a study that aimed to promote the development of intelligent artists and community contributors by discovering the experiences and processes of 13 teen dance students. Enhancing youth curriculum can endorse dance as a worthy discipline in society. Effects of Hyper-Individualism on the Performing Arts Hyper-individualism stems from the neoliberal emphasis on the individual rather than the community. It is defined as a focus on the self without consideration of society as a whole (McKibben, 2007). The effects of hyper-individualism on the arts are seen through developments in technology that exponentially encourage self-centered behavior and diminish the sense of empathy that allows individuals to connect to dance. Technology and Hyper-individualism. The Internet has democratized artistic talent by allowing anyone to post their creations online. This diminishes the demand for professional artists who charge money for their products and performances (Smith, 2008; Timberg 2015). Through his analysis of art's history in America, Smith (2008) discusses how the prosperous 1950's supplied opportunities for the average citizen to afford art participation. But once large numbers of amateur artists were engaged, the perceived value of professional artists began to decline. Today's technology is an avenue for this to expand on a massive scale and it has altered the way people expect to experience entertainment (Kaiser, 2015; Smith, 2008). The colossal abilities of our easily portable and individualized devices have trained us to desire experiences that cost little-to-no money, and shortened our attention spans to a point where the thought of sitting through a two-hour live performance becomes unrealistic. Therefore, if conveniently individualized entertainment is available in a more efficient format, what is the motivation to go to the theatre? 14 Artists and Audiences as Hyper-individualists. McKibben (2007) describes hyperindividualism as the growing isolation within our communities; face-to-face interactions are becoming more and more limited. Fewer interactions, leads to an intolerance for differences. This extreme individualism has isolated artists from their audiences. People will not attend, fund or participate in something that does not resonate with them personally on a very obvious level (Smith, 2008). Dance falls into this individualistic pit as it often appears to only be accessible to those who "understand what is going on" or those who are trained dancers (Glass & Stevens, 2005). Timberg (2015) suggests that the public desires entertainment that allows them to escape, rather than artistic and cultural experiences that makes them think. Our standardized education system has trained our society to look for right answers instead of interpretations, and a lack of understanding equates to failure (Glass & Berliner, 2014; Kohn, 2010; Ravitch, 2013). Therefore, rather than endure embarrassment, people just stay away from dance. While many arts organizations attempt to alter their presentations in order to gain larger audiences, Kotler and Scheff (1997) challenge whether this is the right approach: "If patrons were all satisfied, artistic directors wouldn't be living up to their responsibility to challenge and provoke," (p. 17). This scarcity of in-person contact has led to a numbing of our society's empathic abilities. The inability to connect and understand another person's experience affects the way non-dancers conceptualize movement being performed by someone else. Kinetic transfer is the vicarious experience of feeling what someone else is moving (Carroll & Seeley, 2013). This process involves a level of empathic understanding that is absent in today's audiences, leaving them feeling confused and disconnected from the art form. Carter (2004) explains that "movement training makes people more aware by enhancing the senses, thereby making extensive changes in the brain that affect cognition and feeling," (p. 9). Trained dancers are 15 aware of the emotional elements their movements are meant to represent, but for a society that is becoming less physically present and more embedded in their personal devices, this emotional connection is lost. Dancers often become so fully immersed in their intense and time consuming training that they become disconnected from the communities they perform for, thus thickening the barrier to understanding and appreciation (Buckroyd, 2001). In a study recording audience member's responses to dance performances, Glass and Stevens (2005) found that negative reactions were often due to an inability to make sense of the movement. The lack of verbal communication between the choreographers and their audience resulted in dissatisfaction with the art form. The researchers suggest that given a chance to be "active intellectual participants" through reflective discussion, audiences could have a more positive experience, (p. 11). The literature by Glass and Stevens (2005), Kaiser (2015), Smith (2008), and Timberg (2015) shows that although technology has improved access to the arts, it has also increased our hyper-individualistic tendencies and limited our contact with live performance. Audiences are disconnected from each other and lack the desire for communal experiences. Hyperindividualism diminishes our empathic abilities, which is a crucial component for understanding and appreciating dance. Dance is also delegitimized as a dedicated educational or professional pursuit because it connects to perceptions of leisure and playfulness. But research has shown that participation in dance develops skills that are beneficial in academic, professional and social experiences. Benefits of Formal Dance Training Research shows that there is a wealth of positive skills gained from a rigorous dance technique class: resilience, dedication, and the capability to absorb and retain information 16 (Carter, 2004). In a study on adolescent students engaged in formal dance training, Carter (2004), found that dance also improved academic performance. Participation in a formal dance class requires students to engage in multiple layers of cognitive processes, including critical thinking and reflection which are connected to self-awareness. According to Swartz (1993), dance engages all seven of the intelligences proposed by Gardner (1985): physical awareness develops kinesthetic intelligence; the construction of spatial concepts advances visual intelligence; musical intelligence is fostered through a connection to rhythm and dynamics; sequencing and memorization taps into logical or mathematical intelligence; communication through movement reflection progresses verbal intelligence; interpersonal intelligence is enhanced through the collaboration; the expressive nature of the art form links with intrapersonal intelligence. Swartz (1993) asserts that this multi-layered approach to learning attends to the growth of a complete and creative individual. While the participants in my research were accomplished in kinesthetic, musical and visual intelligence through previous dance training, the findings revealed that their interpersonal intelligence could benefit from further collaborative activities that utilize alternative leadership structures. Critical Thinking Paul (1992) emphasizes the importance of learning to question and to understand different perspectives in order to develop higher level thinking. Critical thinking is defined as a process of investigation and analysis in order to understand one's own thinking or the thinking of others (Kargar, et al., 2012). Creative dance training provides opportunities for students to exercise critical thinking. Dancers are asked to construct and evaluate meaning through movement, and to explore multiple possibilities in solving compositional problems (Carter, 2004; Chen, 2001). Dance is a kinesthetic way of forming and assessing ideas (Snowber, 2012), 17 and follows a constructivist paradigm that knowledge is created, interpreted and fluid (Cresswell & Miller 2000). The development of critical thinking skills allows dancers to be successful in future academic and vocational endeavors (Murphy, K. P., et al., 2014; Wagner, 2012). My project allowed the participants to expand their critical thinking skills through group discussions and decision making where multiple perspectives were presented and analyzed. Creative and Innovative Thinking Wagner (2012) proposes that innovative thinking requires curiosity, flexibility, initiative and the ability to problem solve. In other words, in order to be innovative, a person must first develop the ability to think critically and creatively. Research by Ayob et al. (2011) identified 11 traits of creativity. These attributes include the "ability to produce and consider many alternatives…combination and synthesis and…the ability to break boundaries", (p. 253). Modern and contemporary dance teaches creative thinking by using kinesthetic intelligence to engage in the improvisation and choreography of movement (Swartz, 1993). Through improvisational exercises, dancers initiate a process of looking for various possibilities (Hristovski, Ric & Torrents Martín, 2015). This process encourages the realization of Wagner's (2012) skills needed for innovative thinking. In fact, it is the playful nature of dance that makes it such a valuable learning experience. This collection of literature illustrates that modern and contemporary dance training has the capacity to create intelligent, innovative and complete individuals. However, according to Buckroyd (2001), dancers only know what their teachers instruct them to memorize. She argues that youth who are fully immersed in formal dance training are deficient in social skills and adaptability because their learning is so narrowly concentrated and involves a limited group of people. She questions young dancers' ability to succeed in the real world. While Buckroyd's 18 (2001) research ignores many of the skills described earlier in this section, she does allude to an important factor contributing to diminished social development and autonomy: the structure of leadership in dance. Culture of Hierarchy in Dance Society favors hierarchy, where decisions are made autocratically and power is distributed within a top-down structure (Barnes, et al., 2012; Preskill & Brookfield, 2009). According to Barnes, et al. (2012), hierarchy is entrenched because those in power are driven to maintain it, and because society offers little incentive for collaboration; there is no individual glory for shared accomplishment, and our capitalist civilization values personal gain. Leavitt (2003), states that hierarchy is "intrinsic to our natures", making diversion nearly impossible. In other words, hierarchy has shaped how we organize, learn and lead, and it is difficult to break away from such an embedded and familiar system. The culture of formal dance training follows a hierarchical mold in three forms: adults over youth, teachers over students, and choreographers over dancers. Arnold (1988) alludes to this issue in his analysis of dancers as invested artists versus empty vessels. He challenges the concept of the dancer as a passive tool for the choreographer by promoting active involvement from the dancer in the creation of movement, so that "what is presented is not a series of well drilled, mindless moves, so much as a well-conceived series of reflected-upon actions," (p. 51). Modern and creative dance pedagogical practices, like those at Tanner Dance, encourage contributions from students and place an emphasis on the creative process rather than a final product (Tanner Dance: University of Utah). However, the findings of my research revealed that the entrenched hierarchical system in the discipline makes it difficult for dancers to feel a true 19 sense of ownership and autonomy, and to become the active dancer that Arnold (1988) encourages. Freire (1970) criticizes what he describes as the "banking system of education". Learning that is based on rote memorization and regurgitation stems from the idea that knowledge exists in a static state. This process reinforces traditional power structures (in this case expert teachers over passive students). Instead, Freire (1970) supports a learning method where everyone is both a student and a teacher, and where knowledge is created through experience. Teaching methods in formal dance training often follow a product based structure and traditional exchanges that favor the teacher over the student (Sööt & Viskus, 2013). Of course, in order to build technical ability in dance, i.e. alignment, strength, agility, etc., it is necessary to receive information from an experienced individual and to put that information into repeated practice until proficiency is reached. But technique alone does not develop intelligent artists. Formal dance training inherently places adult teachers in authority over their students and the appointed position of choreographer over the dancers, embedding a perception that there are actors and those who are acted upon. It is not that hierarchies are fundamentally ineffective or corruptive (Leavitt, 2003). But when one looks at the Cambridge Dictionary's (2017) definition: "a system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance", it becomes apparent why students may feel passive or disempowered. Burnidge (2012) states the need for feminist or democratic dance pedagogy through teaching methods that value and empower the student. By promoting learning as an active process, and honoring diverse thinking in the dance studio, youth can become more artistically expressive. My research highlighted the need for alternative leadership models in order to break the mold of passive learning and creating. However, immediate abandonment of the established 20 system does not result in a successful shift from an exchange based hierarchy. Instead, Barnes, et al. (2012) suggests that those currently in positions of authority must garner trust, empowering others to lead in what Starhawk (2015) describes as "power-from-within". Collective Leadership Preskill and Brookfield (2009) explain that in a collective leadership model, everyone has the chance to take on a leadership role and contribute to the group's success. There is no need to concede to an outside authority because leadership is elected from within and evolves with the needs of the common goal. Collective leadership is an avenue for building self-efficacy as each individual has the opportunity to learn, teach and be held accountable (Preskill & Brookfield, 2009; Starhawk, 2015). This does not mean that groups engaged in collective leadership lack guidelines or structure. Starhawk (2015) states, "A group cannot avoid the responsibility of setting standards and boundaries, as refusing to do so itself becomes a standard," (p. 50). She describes how the social movement Occupy San Francisco failed to establish rules about illegal drug use, resulting in a dangerous environment that undermined the vision and purpose of the collective action. Developing structural integrity is vital to achieving a successful collaborative process. Cooperative Learning A study conducted on 4th grade students compared cooperative learning, in which students work together to achieve their goals, to traditional lecture-based teaching methods. The researchers found that through the exchange of multiple ideas and opinions, new knowledge could be discovered and students felt a higher sense of fulfillment. This process of group discussion resulted in deeper levels of understanding and students became more inquisitive throughout the learning process. The social nature of the process increased students' creativity 21 and connection to their peers (Mohammadjani & Tonkaboni, 2015). Paul (1992) states that cooperative learning encourages critical thinking because it requires participants to clearly explain and rationalize their ideas to others. Collaboration can also be a challenge. Allowing everyone involved to have equal input requires a lot more time than individual work and disagreements are bound to arise (Brookfield & Preskill, 2009; Dzindolet & Paulus, 2008). The process of waiting for one's turn to speak and the possibility of rejection may discourage group members from fully participating or could result in censored opinions. Because social status is especially important during adolescence (Seigel, 2013) this could produce a barrier to affective cooperation. Throughout my research project, the participants struggled to supplant their own contributions and make decisions within a group of 11 dancers. Collaboration for this number of people was perhaps the most difficult part of the whole experience. Group Creative Process Harrison and Rouse (2014) present a theory of group creativity they call "elastic coordination". Through a study of professional dancers in a choreography competition, they identified three stages of development in group behavior: psychological safety, curiosity, and coherence. The researchers explored the modern dance choreographic process, and discovered how the groups of dancers negotiated a sense of autonomy and democratic implementation of boundaries in order to facilitate the creative process. Dzindolet and Paulus (2008) also support the idea that groups must create a safe environment in which to be creative. This is accomplished when an individual's contributions are acknowledged and valued, and when all group members contribute to the process. If group members trust each other, they are more willing to contribute ideas. The more ideas shared, the more innovative solutions can be invented. 22 However, an overabundance of ideas can also become debilitating. Too many options cause confusion and an inability to commit to any one thought (Dzindolet & Paulus, 2008). In Harrison and Rouse's (2014) study, it was found that the dancers limited their own autonomy in order to create a cohesive piece of choreography. Because trust was established between the choreographer and the dancers, the dancers felt comfortable asking questions in order to build clarification. This research presented some interesting questions regarding group creative work and the equilibrium between independence and structure. The teens struggled to navigate this process without adult direction. While a shared history allowed for creative common ground, their adolescent perspectives and relationships with each other impeded the logistics of the project. This often prevented the emergence of more innovative and unified solutions. Negative Perceptions of Adolescence Teenagers are at the center of my research, and so a review of the literature surrounding their development is vital. Studies have demonstrated that society views the period of adolescence as a time of intense instability and confrontation, despite evidence that this is not the average teen's experience (Buchanan et al., 1990; Buchanan & Holmbeck, 1998; Hill & Holmbeck, 1988). The media often plays up disastrous relationships between teens and adults, reinforcing attitudes that all youth are surrounded by turbulence and trauma. There is a prevalence of research and interest focused on the many disastrous scenarios connected to teenage life (Anderson, 2015; Farb & Margolis, 2016; Hale & Viner, 2016; Kelly, et al., 2016; Larson, 2016). But Siegel (2013) stresses the importance of understanding the emotional and cognitive changes that occur during adolescence: "sometimes as adults we see the adolescent drive toward experimentation to create novelty as only a negative change, as only a problem, as a 23 sign of teens being ‘crazy'," (p. 97). Actually, adolescence is the time that the brain develops creativity, exploration and social skills (Damour, 2016; Siegel, 2013). Throughout my research project, social development proved to be an important motivator for many of the students. The negative stereotypes surrounding teenagers can have a damaging effect on their development as human beings. Buchanan and Hughes (2009) discovered that the expectation that adolescence is a turbulent experience which adults must endure can actually be the cause of negative teenage behavior. Projecting negative attitudes and low expectations for how teens should behave can shape an adolescent's expectations of themselves (Buchanan & Hughes, 2009; Siegel, 2013). Viewing teenagers as irresponsible and self-centered develops a culture of prevention rather than possibility, developing a cycle of negative perception, actualization and further limitation. Positive Youth Development Self-Efficacy and Empowerment In order to shift the paradigm and empower youth as "active" dancers (Arnold, 1988), dance education must include learning processes that build students' self-efficacy in leadership. Carter (2004) defines self-efficacy as understanding one's own potential to influence certain outcomes, and the ability to sustain motivation in challenging situations. Yancey (2014) adds that "self-efficacy plays an important role in the competencies people develop, the interests they pursue, and the social networks they grow-in short, self-efficacy plays a crucial role in who people become," (p. 1). The terms self-efficacy and empowerment are often used interchangeably. However, I subscribe to Chamberlin's (1997) description which suggests an important difference: that empowerment is connected to access and equity in making choices. I understand self-efficacy to be the recognition of abilities, or self-awareness, combined with a 24 sense of motivation (Carter, 2004; Yancey, 2014). In my research on youth-directed creative processes, both concepts were used with these distinctions. I suggest that empowerment results from providing opportunities for youth to collaborate and direct outcomes, like that of my research project, and that this process can develop self-efficacy in collective leadership, as my findings illustrate. Autonomy and Intrinsic Motivation Larson (2006) states that positive development occurs when "youth are producers of their own growth; development involves more than preventing problems; adults are most effective when they support the positive potentials within young people," (p. 677). When youth exercise agency within their own learning process, they are more likely to develop positive behaviors than when they are directed by adults to act in certain ways. Youth require intrinsic motivation and autonomy in order to feel a sense of purpose and constructive challenge. Amorose and Anderson-Butcher (2007) define intrinsic motivation as participating in an activity solely for the enjoyment or fulfillment that it inherently provides. Their research reveals the connection between autonomy supportive coaching behavior and developing higher levels of selfdetermination in athletes. Teaching methods that focus on providing choice and opportunities for self-initiation result in greater intrinsic motivation in students. Ben-Eliyahu, Rhodes and Scales (2014) state that adolescents who are involved in selfselected activities that they are passionate about, develop a greater sense of determination as well as discipline and adaptability. These are skills that transfer into future interactions in the community. Their research showed that having a "spark" interest increased a majority of teens' level of optimism because the activity encouraged a growth mindset rather than a performancedriven one. Activities with a high level of social engagement and cooperation accomplish this 25 better than isolated spark activities. Dance is an activity that many of my research participants described as something they are deeply passionate about, as well as an artistic outlet for establishing personal identity and peer connections. The research I conducted offered an opportunity for teens to make both logistical and artistic decisions without an overriding adult authority. Engaged and Experiential Learning Johnson (2017) describes engaged learning as a collaborative process focused on real life action. All of the aforementioned components of positive youth development point towards establishing an environment for engaged learning: self-efficacy and empowerment, and investment that is motivated by passion and social connections. Similarly, experiential learning is essentially hands-on education with the added element of meaningful reflection (Fowler 2007). Experiential learning augments creativity through problem solving (Ayob, Hussian, Mustafa & Shaarani, 2011). Dance by nature is learning by doing. The methods of my study used this combination of experience and reflection motivated by the participants. Youth Leadership According to Connor and Strobel (2007), youth leadership involves mastery of communication and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to engage in critical reflection. In a qualitative study of youth participants in a leadership development program, these researchers found that a progression of responsibilities and leadership roles enabled youth to gradually advance their ability to communicate and positively direct others. Part of the program's success was due to its focus on valuing a variety of leadership styles, as well as a reciprocal learning method between the adults and the youth. This study pointed out that the development of 26 leadership skills requires time and consistency, something that quickly became apparent in my own research project with youth. The literature by DesMariasi, Yang and Farzanehkia (2000) brings together the elements of identity, relationships and decision making power as critical to the positive development of youth as transformational leaders. Often teens are left out of decision-making processes because they are not trusted to make good choices on their own (Mohammed & Wheeler, 2001). But youth mature and succeed when given real responsibilities that are valued by adults (McLaughlin, 2000). DesMarais, Yang and Farzanehkia (2000) explain that adults often support transactional leadership (carrying out tasks), rather than create platforms for transformational youth leadership (making impactful decisions). Adults believe "[youth] may be ready to rehearse leadership, but not to perform it. Moreover, adults are not willing to relinquish their own positions of power and decision making," (p. 679). This limitation of power is common in dance training, where youth are often given time to be creative, but not to direct the overall vision or logistics. The result is that young dancers are unable to conceptualize the intricacies of what it means to manage a project from start to finish. While some adolescent researchers focus on relationship building as the critical component in leadership development (Conner & Strobel, 2007), others highlight the significance of self-awareness. An important part of youth leadership is the ability to move fluidly in and out of various roles within a group process (Hawker, Hohmann & Hohmann, 1982). An understanding of one's own strengths and weaknesses, and a mindfulness to utilize the ideas of others, are attributes of successful collaborative leadership. Hawker, Hohmann and Hohmann (1982) state: "Adolescence is a time of trying out roles with respect to other people, as the young person seeks to consolidate his or her identity" (p. 620). They assert that group 27 development strategies should aim to resist the "culturally prescribed roles" that individuals take on during adolescence, (p. 620). In my research of teen students at Tanner Dance, these components stood out as areas requiring further development. Socialization of Adolescent Females According to Solomon and Lee (2008), socialization is "a process whereby individuals acquire information about acceptable and unacceptable responses, including developing social, cognitive, and physical skills," (p. 229). For adolescents, these responses are influenced through interactions with adults and peers in both formal and informal settings. Expectations for acceptable female behavior include avoiding conflict (especially with other females), confining emotions and acting "nice" (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Harter, 1998; Tolman, et al., 2006). Tolman, et al. (2006), defines a feminist psychodynamic development framework, in which the psychological progress of adolescent girls is impacted by society's patriarchal power structures, pressuring them to navigate the world as an archetypal nurturing female. Fox (1977) refers to this phenomenon as social control through normative restriction. She states, "because every woman can learn to be a lady, every woman is expected to act like one…one is under pressure to demonstrate one's niceness anew by one's behavior in each instance of social interaction," (p. 809). The quest for a woman to prove and preserve her "niceness", is a continual struggle for an unreachable goal. This form of social control functions due to psychologically internalized values and the communal participation in regulated behavior (Fox, 1977). The dancers in my study participated in regulating their own behavior by suppressing ideas and limiting how often they vocalized what they were thinking. There was an intuitive understanding about acceptable behavior among the group. 28 For adolescent girls, a sense of self is dependent on the ability to preserve relationships with peers. Preservation is often achieved through limiting or altering one's own opinions, emotions, and responses to others in order to uphold a "nice" façade (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Harter, 1998; Tolman, et al., 2006). Research by Brown and Gilligan (1992), defines this phenomenon as "loss of voice". In a longitudinal study of adolescents attending an all-girl school, they discovered that the participants silenced their genuine identities by withdrawing strong feelings and evading verbal conflict in order to maintain relationships. Notably, this pattern of behavior was learned from direct instruction and modeling from mothers and teachers. The researchers found that although the girls admitted to diminishing their own voice and were interested in pursuing open dialogue with each other, that opportunity was often repressed by an adult authority. Girls are taught that arguments equate to lost relationships rather than being characteristics of honest connections; this results in the removal of the self from social interactions and the development of relationships that are built on an unrealistic ideal (Brown & Gilligan, 1992). Duke and Kreshel (1998) confirm the idea that during adolescence, girls stop relying on their own knowledge for how to interact with others and instead turn to adults to provide ques for socially acceptable behavior. Socialization is developed and reinforced by the way youth play with one another. The activities girls elect to engage in are often designed to circumvent conflict (Hughes, 1988, Lever 1976, Lever, 1978). In a study of the game of foursquare, Hughes (1988) explored how girls change the ways in which they compete with each other in order to preserve desired qualities of "nice" and "friendly". While boys played the game with the goal of getting people "out" and the concept of obvious winners and losers, the girls constructed a nuanced cooperative etiquette that instead focused on being nice, or what they called "nice-mean" - only getting people out when it 29 is necessary to keep the game moving, and then apologizing for having to "be mean". In this way, the girls could play a competitive game while sustaining positive relationships. The participants in my study also showed an inclination for a cooperative model versus an autocratic one in order to maintain their close friendships. Their desire to remain on equal footing with each other superseded the alternative goal of creating interesting movement. As part of being compliant and "nice", girls are socialized to have an apologetic persona. Schumann and Ross (2010) studied why women seem to apologize more than men; they found that men were not necessarily against admitting fault, but that women had a lower threshold for what they considered to be offensive. The researchers suggest this is owed to females having a heightened attentiveness to the experiences of others and an innate wish to create harmony. When compared to the research on loss of voice (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Harter 1988; Tolman, et al. 2006), it seems that selfless interest in others may be for the purpose of social survival rather than for its own sake. Lever (1976) found that girls tend to engage in "turn-taking" play, rather than competitive games where arguments may ensue. She claims that girls gain little experience with self-organization and adjudication, and that boy's play more adequately prepares them for adult success. Boys' competitive games encourage independence, develop complex organizing skills, and offer opportunities to dispel arguments; girls do not gain this same level of practice in interpersonal skills (Lever, 1976, Lever 1978, Cooky, 2009). According to Lever (1978), these variances in play are a result of the inequitable beginnings of team sports which favored men. "Male children are quick to learn that their demonstrations of athletic skill earn the attention and praise of adults," (p. 480). Girls are often discouraged from displaying the same athletic traits 30 because doing so deviates from what is thought to be normal female behavior, and organized sports participation has been socially constructed as a male activity (Cooky, 2009). The concept of female socialization was central in my research with teen dance students. The avoidance of verbal conflict, a desire to be "nice" and "equal", and the distillation of personal opinions and emotions were all present in their experience with each other. While Theran (2009), believes that loss of voice is attributed to the absence of typically masculine traits (assertiveness and competitiveness), the findings of my research converged with the literature stating that females suppress these traits in order to be accepted. The lack of expertise in boundary construction along with a desire for fairness and cooperation were also evident in my research. Leadership and Gender Carli and Eagly (2001), affirm that "women are perceived to be less competent than men, and less worthy to hold leadership positions," (p. 631). Our patriarchal society provides more opportunity for men to exert influence and hold leadership positions. Views on what qualities constitute effective leadership are disproportionately shaped by male representation, and establish prescriptive behavior norms. For females, the role of competent leader is not culturally normative (Koch, 2005; Kolehmainen, et al., 2014; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004; Rudman & Peter, 2001; Schneider, et al., 2010). According to Schneider, et al. (2010), women who are capable and assertive are perceived to be socially unlikable. Self-sufficiency is thought of as a masculine trait, and the threat of social disapproval deters women from displaying confidence and directness. Research by Koch (2005) and Schneider, et al. (2010) explains that both men and women have negative reactions towards violation of gender norms. Women are often forced to choose between being respected 31 or being liked (Rudman & Glick, 2001; Schneider, et al., 2010). For adolescent girls, peer acceptance is critical (Demour, 2016; Siegel, 2013; Tolman, et al., 2006). The pressure to conform to gender prescriptive behavior (whether actual or perceived) is in conflict with encouragement from adults to step forward as youth leaders. The participants in my study often viewed assertive behavior as deviating from the agreed upon collective design rather than an attempt to enable decision making or express leadership. Conclusion A deeper understanding of the adolescent collaborative process, social motivations and leadership capabilities is valuable in the future development of programming at Tanner Dance. Directing curriculum towards the needs and interests of the students is essential in providing successful holistic learning that promotes positive youth development and contradicts negative perceptions of teens. This research aimed to give the participants an autonomy supportive opportunity to explore a project that valued their perspectives, as well as develop critical thinking skills and collaborative innovation. The methods used to understand the youth participants and their collective processes offered a platform for experiential learning. 32 Chapter 3: Methods Research Context My research project took place in Salt Lake City, Utah within the University of Utah Tanner Dance Program (Tanner Dance). This non-profit organization is a national leader in holistic dance education for youth (Tanner Dance: University of Utah). Through its recreational dance classes, Tanner Dance reaches students of all ages, 18 months to adult, and works with various populations including students with disabilities, those in underserved rural areas and atrisk minority youth. The organization seeks to increase access to arts learning and provide quality dance instruction through teaching methods that value the complete individual. The integration of dance with visual art, music, drama and creative writing aims to enhance an appreciation for all the arts (Tanner Dance: Children's Dance Theatre Concert Program, 2015). The Tanner Dance Arts in Education Program provides arts learning to public elementary schools and classroom teachers by integrating creative movement with core curriculum (Tanner Dance: Arts in Education). The program is designed to reach kinesthetic learners, develop creative thinking and life skills, and build appreciation of dance as an art form. Professional development workshops for educators build proficiency in teaching movement for K-12 classroom teachers. Tanner Dance also offers formal, disciplined dance instruction and opportunities for students to enhance their performing skills. The Children's Dance Theatre provides public school children the opportunity to see a live, quality dance production and gives the young participating company members the chance to develop confidence and artistry (Tanner Dance: Children's Dance Theatre). In Motion Dance Company and Tipping Point Company are additional 33 performing companies for teens that focus on developing versatile, confident dancers through contemporary techniques and creative processes. As a supplementary program in the University of Utah's College of Fine Arts, Tanner Dance is also expected to contribute to the university's emphasis on research (Tanner Dance, 2015), making it an ideal environment for my study. Tanner Dance had not previously engaged in research regarding formal adolescent dance curriculum, so my project was a new endeavor for the organization. Salt Lake City, Utah has a unique concentration of dance, due to the efforts of the founder of Tanner Dance: Virginia Tanner. In addition to being an innovator in dance education for children, Virginia Tanner established a professional modern dance company, Repertory Dance Theatre, and built connections to the University of Utah (Tanner Dance: University of Utah; Utah History to Go). Utah is now home to several professional companies and university programs, as well as numerous private dance studios and high school programs. Large numbers of youth are engaged in dance in Salt Lake City, making advancements in curriculum significant. Participants The participants were 11 high school seniors. All participants were female, with at least one year of formal modern dance experience at Tanner Dance. Most of the students had trained as dancers for more than 10 years, either at Tanner Dance, other dance studios, or through their high school dance programs. Many of them had experience in other dance genres such as ballet, hip hop and jazz. These teens were all members of Tanner Dance Tipping Point Company. Their training within this program included the advancement of technical ability in multiple genres of dance, with an emphasis on contemporary movement styles. Students in this program engage in choreographic projects with a variety of instructors, including university professors and artistic 34 directors from professional companies. Tipping Point Company dancers have multiple opportunities to perform and to create their own choreography. However, these experiences are conducted under my direction and guidelines, so this research project was a unique endeavor in student-led collective choreography in the absence of adult supplied expectations for process or product. I had developed a strong student-teacher rapport with the participants and had an established form of communication through email, text and in-person contact. Once I received IRB approval, I personally invited each of these seniors to participate in the project. I selected this specific group of students for my research for several reasons: 1) I was interested in the collaborative creative processes of dancers who have had extensive formal training. I wanted to see how their previous learning experience informed their process, and how it might be transformed through self-direction. My study did not investigate the effects of this kind of project on students with little-to-no dance experience. 2) Trust had already been established between myself and the participants, making for a smoother transition into an experimental process. This became critical as the project unfolded. 3) Based on my previous interactions with this group of students, I believed they would be invested and reliable as far as attendance for each workshop and in completion of the project. As the project progressed, it became difficult for certain students to attend every workshop due to school commitments. 4) These particular dancers were at a point in their training when they needed to take on a new challenge. Because all of the participants were middle-to-upper class white females, this research did not explore issues of socio-economic status or race; additional studies need to be done in order to explore these factors. There were a variety of religious/cultural affiliations within the group of participants, but this did not appear to have an impact on the group's overall process. 35 Gender did play a role in the dancers' experiences, and the impacts were seen through their social interactions and choices made regarding leadership structures. Methods I conducted a series of nine workshops with the participants that included group discussions, creative processing and reflection. The workshops took place in the studios at Tanner Dance between January and April, 2017. My research focused on the real-life application of building new curriculum, so an action-based workshop method facilitated this more successfully than individual interviews. This study was not a participatory action research project because the participants did not research an issue themselves, but the project did position youth "as producers of knowledge and research is viewed as a means of resisting the status quo," (Johnson, 2017, p. 7). This project aimed to go beyond traditional dance curriculum and present an opportunity for youth to make their own discoveries. Each workshop was approximately one to two hours long. In order to get the process underway, I initiated group discussions throughout each workshop. These discussions began with prompts or questions from me, but the essence of the dialog was driven by the participants. I took extensive notes throughout our conversations and while observing the dancer's working. Immediately following each session, I completed detailed descriptive and reflective field notes (Geertz, 1973; Johnson, 2017) documenting the dancers' interactions along with analytic memos describing how those interactions affected my understanding of the research. At the end of each workshop, I asked the participants to complete a journal entry where they could reflect on the process. The dancers could take as much or as little time as they needed to write. Journaling served three purposes: 1) It gave an opportunity for the students to think critically about the process; 2) It provided an understanding of each individual's perspective and 36 comparison to what was happening within the group; 3) It enhanced my own field notes about what occurred. Using these data, I looked for themes and/or inconsistencies among participant perspectives and my own. I supplied and distributed the journals and collected them after each workshop. Based on my previous experience with these students, I anticipated that they would need prompts for their journal reflections; a lack of guidance could result in responses that were focused on simply listing what occurred rather than analyzing what it meant or how it made them feel. For each session, I wrote a short list of sample questions that the dancers could use to get them started. Some of these questions included: What do you like best/least about this process? What do you think about the decisions made so far? Do you feel included? Why or why not? Despite the direction, some participants still resorted to making non-specific statements that lacked qualifying information, such as: "I think the idea is very cool,", "I'm really excited about this project," and "I think the decisions so far are good,". However, as the group delved further into the choreographic process, their journal entries became more informative regarding the students' emotional reactions, expectations and perceptions. Sample workshop guides and discussion questions are included as appendices. Due to the emergent nature of this project, these documents served as a starting point, but they do not reflect the exact questions asked or the precise sequence that occurred. Process Summary The following is a summary of the youths' creative, collaborative process. Over the course of the nine workshops, the project evolved based on the students' artistic interests, level of collaborative leadership abilities, interruptions in attendance and a short time frame. The outcomes served as a platform for process analysis and future curriculum design. 37 Workshops 1 and 2: Idea Generation. The first two workshops were dedicated to generating ideas. Through informal group discussions, the participants relayed their experiences in dance and their perceptions of the art form, and engaged in an exploration of potential creative projects. Out of these ideas, the dancers selected a topic and process for the project: a choreographed dance based on Polaroids. The participants discussed variations on the theme, (transformation of a place, evolution of identity, telling a story), the logistics and artistry of the Polaroids, (where the photos should be taken, what they should wear, how to film the photo developing), and elements of choreography and music, (recording live sound from each location, movement beginning or ending as the photo resolves). By the end of the second session, the dancers had decided to take Polaroids of each other to represent each dancer's personal history and serve as a springboard for choreographing movement. Workshops 3-8: Execution. Over the next six workshops, the participants chose what Polaroids they wanted to use, shared personal stories that were connected to the images, choreographed movement phrases, and continued the process of theme development and revision. The dancers sometimes worked as one large group and other times broke off into solos, duets, or trios to create different sections of the piece. Each workshop included a group discussion about the process and ended with personal, reflective journal writing. Workshop 9: Member-Checking and Reflection. The majority of the final meeting involved a member-checking discussion and a lengthier journal writing session. As the dancers reflected on their experience, they realized that their project was not as fully formed as they would like and elected to continue working together over the course of another month before performing the final piece for an audience. Researcher Role 38 With each meeting, new challenges arose. The participants' inexperience with collective leadership illuminated the need for their concept to shift and for me to take on a different role. I began the process as a moderate participant observer as defined by Johnson (2017): "Moderate participation would entail that the researcher maintains a balance between being an insider and an outsider within the setting and adopts a more peripheral role," (p. 106). After communicating the purpose for the project to the participants, I observed the process and occasionally interacted with the group when I felt it was appropriate, i.e. facilitating transitions and providing youthrequested information or support. I had initially selected a restrained level of participation because I felt that complete participation as an adult may undermine the youth-directed nature of the project. I wanted to develop clear boundaries so that I would not be tempted to insert my own ideas and so the students could truly feel they had full command of the process. However, after the second workshop, it became necessary for me to increase my level of participation in order to keep the project moving forward. I supported the dancers' process by mediating some of the decision making; I did this by offering up a variety of solutions to a problem or options for next steps, and then asking the dancers to select one of the options. At the beginning of workshop five, I asked the students if they were interested in nominating a director among them to facilitate moving the project along, but they requested that I continue as the facilitator. Analysis Following each workshop, I engaged in open coding of my field notes and the participants' journal entries. I selected this inductive labeling technique in order to ensure a genuine exploration of the dancers' experiences rather than reinforcing my own pre-conceived ideas through prearranged codes (Johnson, 2017). I determined themes and connections between 39 the coded data and developed assertions regarding the outcomes. This ongoing method of coding and analysis allowed me to discover themes throughout the process that informed my writing of future fieldnotes and helped keep the information focused on answering the research questions (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Problems One major problem was participant attendance. Based on the established rapport, I had predicted that most of the students would be committed to engaging fully from start to finish. However, changes in their schedules due to school commitments and holiday breaks arose which resulted in some of the students missing a portion of the process. As a group, the participants chose to move forward when others were absent, making decisions with those who were present. They established that those decisions would be closed for revision in future meetings in order to maintain the project's progress. While it was disappointing that some students missed out on a portion of the experience, those who were present expressed a certain amount of relief at being able to work with a smaller group. At first, it was difficult to present the research in a way that was clear to the youth without steering their decision making. In my experience, students often attempt to decipher what outcome the teacher desires and then manipulate the process in order to fit that conclusion. Because I was interested in learning what was meaningful to the adolescent dancers and their ability to self-direct, I needed to construct my language in a way that made it clear I had no particular expectations for what they should choose to explore or accomplish; my agenda was to discover how they experienced the process. Still, there was some confusion during second workshop and the dancers were unsure whether they truly had full reign. Ethical Implications/Considerations 40 Because the participants were minors, I collected parental consent forms and assent forms for each participant. Each student was asked to provide her own pseudonym in order to protect her identity as a minor. These pseudonyms were used in all participant references throughout the written data and analysis. The participants found this concept to be quite funny, and many chose to share their fake name with everyone. Student journals were only read by myself. All field notes, coding and analysis were stored on a password protected personal laptop computer. The individual journals were labeled with the participants' pseudonyms to maintain confidentiality. I collected the journals after each workshop and kept them in a locked storage cabinet in my home office. The potential risks were minimal. Some participants experienced some stress in relation to the time commitment involved in the project and conflicting school schedules. However, the consent/assent forms explained that the participant could withdraw at any time without any adverse repercussions. All the participants were skilled dancers and this project did not require them to attempt an increased level of physicality beyond their previous training. Part of the purpose for the research was to discover how youth would navigate group work on their own; this included the youth regulating the emotions and personal needs of everyone involved. Because these dancers had experience working together, they had established norms for interacting and managing conflict with each other. These norms became a critical finding in the research. The challenge of democratic leadership did cause frustration for some of the participants, but ultimately, working towards a common goal through a shared love of dance increased the participants' sense of empathy and heightened their awareness of each girl's value as artistic leaders. Validity 41 Cresswell and Miller (2000) state that knowledge is socially created through experience and perceptions. Validity of a qualitative study depends on how truthfully the participants have been portrayed. In order to ensure the authenticity of my research I engaged in three validity procedures: researcher reflexivity, thick description and member checking. Researcher Reflexivity My interest in this research topic stems from my personal experiences as a dancer. I took formal dance classes throughout my entire childhood and adolescence. I earned my undergraduate degree in modern dance, and have worked as a dance teacher and choreographer for approximately 10 years. My positionality within this research project was affected by my commitment to the art form; I am predisposed to expect positive outcomes from this process. However, I made a concerted effort to approach my observations and field notes with an open mind. My goal was to understand the experiences of teens, not to reinforce my own opinion. My restrained level of participation, along with the students' journals, helped to limit the affect my own bias had on the data. Thick Rich Description Writing detailed field notes about the setting, dialogue and non-verbal interactions throughout the workshops authenticated the research by creating a clear picture of what occurred and not one that was clouded by my own positionality. Thick description validates research by providing an overabundance of data that can be overlapped to discover common themes (Geertz, 1973; Morse, 2015). Member Checking The individual journals and group discussions served as an ongoing member-checking system (Cresswell & Miller, 2000; Johnson, 2017). After completing my own fieldnotes for each 42 workshop, I read each journal entry and wrote reflective analytic memos. Each set of reflections shifted the prompts I created for group discussions going forward (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Quotes and themes from the participants' entries are included in the analysis section of this thesis. In the final workshop, I presented my assertions to the students. Because my research was focused on the perspectives and potential of youth, it was important that I include them in the analysis of their own experience. The students' insights revealed supplementary data related to how the teens perceived their own collaborative creative process, and they affirmed my analysis of their interactions. Conclusion Over the course of the workshops, I hoped to understand the creative collaborative processes of adolescent dancers. I aimed to discover their level of competency in a youthdirected project. Throughout the data collection, analysis, and member checking, I looked for themes that could illuminate the youth's perspectives and the possibilities for future curriculum design. 43 Chapter 4: Findings Introduction As a dance educator interested in advancing teaching methods for youth, I set out to answer the following research questions: What are the experiences of teen dance students who engage in a youth-directed, collaborative creative project? How can these experiences inform the adolescent curriculum of Tanner Dance? This research revealed several factors that influenced the participants' interpersonal skills within a system of collective leadership. Using the data gathered over the course of nine workshops, I developed three key assertions: the absence of a collective leadership model in formal studio training prevents young dancers from evolving into fully confident, collaborative artists; teen dancers are largely motivated by developing and maintaining peer relationships; the socialization of adolescent females affects their approach to collaboration and leadership. In this chapter, I will explain each of these assertions using excerpts from my fieldnotes and the students' journals, as well as support from the relevant literature on leadership, collaboration and social development. Hierarchy in Dance "We are always so used to being told what to do, especially in dance!" - Spencer For these participants engaged in a student-led project, collective leadership was a challenge due to the prevalence of hierarchical leadership structures and an absence of collective models in dance culture and society in general. Due to systems of knowledge transfer established in the dance studio, visionary choreographer to interpreting dancer or expert teacher to novice student (Buckroyd, 2001; Freire, 1970; Sööt & Viskus, 2013), youth concede major decision making to the single figure of authority. While many dance instructors take a democratic approach to the choreographic process by incorporating movement contributions from the 44 dancers, the students are not given the opportunity to try on transformational leadership roles in immersive ways, as encouraged by Hawker, Hohmann and Hohmann (1982). In my research project, this was particularly evident in the participant's references to the role of the choreographer in relation to the dancer. During the fourth workshop, I asked the dancers what they thought it meant to be a leader in dance. For some dancers, the opportunity to contribute ideas within someone else's vision gave them a sufficient level of ownership, while others pointed out the absence of decision making power that this method inherently has: Naomi raised her hand to talk, and I gestured to her to go ahead. "Sorry, I keep saying things,", she said as her face turned red. The other dancers laughed in a supportive, friendly way. "I've never felt like the teacher is overpowering the dancers." She described how often the teacher uses ideas from the students to create the final dance, and that even if your idea isn't chosen, you are still performing ideas contributed by your classmates. "I think we've all been given the opportunity in our lives, to lead, kind of, in a way, because we're all contributing." Spencer disagreed. "Yeah, but we're always under the power of the choreographer," she said. "If you don't know what the movement is, you're gonna ask the choreographer, because if you don't do it right, they're gonna yell at you, or you're gonna look bad, so of course you're gonna ask. We've always been the students in a classroom setting, and now that we've been set loose to make a piece, we're like, okay, so what happens now?" (excerpt from fieldnotes, March 4, 2017). Naomi's comments describe her teachers' democratic utilization of students' ideas, while Spencer's explanation illustrates the autonomous authoritative power of the choreographer and the dancers' instinctive deferment to that authority figure. Spencer's remark about their 45 perpetual role as students marks the absence of collective leadership practice in current dance curriculum. The participants were unfamiliar with how to allow leadership to naturally present itself from within the group (Preskill & Brookfield, 2009). Instead, there was a clear assumption that leadership roles were reserved for adult instructors or students designated by teachers to become choreographers. In another discussion about leadership roles, Jill said, "It's just nice, when you're the choreographer, to be able to shut down choreography that you don't like. But when someone else is choreographing on you, you can't say anything." Jill's comment illustrates her view as a dance student: the choreographer has full creative control, and dancers do not have a voice inside of someone else's work. Perceptions like these originate from repeated exposure to hierarchically structured projects and a lack of hands-on experience with other methods of creating. Some dancers, like Zoya and Beth, were eager to step up and steer the creation as they had been given extensive opportunities prior to this project to be lead choreographers. Others, Rachel in particular, wanted to engage in a collectivist approach, but did not know how to enable the process. The lack of collective modeling in their dance studio training, made them illequipped to enable the structure on their own. In her journal, Elle wrote, "In my experience with other group projects, I've noticed that you can be either a leader or an instrument. And although we tried to break that mold, I don't know that we succeeded completely." Elle's comments highlight the participants' lack of experience with alternative leadership models and their attempt to refrain from hierarchy. In reference to the collective process, Ruby wrote, "Without one single leader, it allows the stronger extrovert personalities to sort of overtake the others." Ruby underscores the girls' tendency to defer to structures they are more familiar with. Elle's and 46 Ruby's statements illuminate the participants' common understanding that it was difficult for the group to disrupt the hierarchical system and successfully sustain collective leadership. The participants were masters of self-direction in their own choreographic process, but did not feel empowered to lead others or make decisions that would affect the whole group. These students had previously been immersed in a learning environment that identifies the choreographer as the definitive leader. Therefore, the dancers were comfortable creating and manipulating their own choreography, but were hesitant and apologetic when making suggestions regarding movement material that seemingly belonged to someone else. Zoya saw herself as an artistic director, often clashing with Beth who also wanted to drive choreographic choices. Because Zoya had contributed the initial concept, she felt she had a level of ownership and sometimes displayed annoyance or disappointment if her ideas were adjusted by group member. Again, this reveals the expectation that a singular person must own and control the dance movement. It was clear that the participants could benefit from further experience with interpersonal communication and negotiation in large group decision making. During a member checking discussion, Spencer pointed out, "Trying to reign in 11 creative imaginations to agree on one thing is so hard." As predicted by some of the research on collaborative work (Brookfield & Preskill, 2009; Dzindolet & Paulus, 2008), the number of participants involved, paired with their inexperience, made synthesizing ideas a primary challenge. While Swartz (1993), states that the ability to combine multiple ideas is sufficiently developed through dance improvisation and composition exercises, this project revealed that the participants had not reached an advanced skill level of synthesis through those methods alone. 47 Throughout the workshops, the dancers were able to brainstorm a wealth of creative ideas. Each new idea presented came with multiple potential variations from other participants and the dancers were not able to make clear decisions about which version should actually be carried out. When asked about the challenges of the project, Zoya pointed out that the number of dancers made it difficult to "find the voice of the piece". Ruby expressed that it was much easier to work on the days when part of the group was absent. Similarly, Jill said "We have lots of good ideas, but then whittling it down to one distinct idea is almost impossible with all of us." These three dancers' experiences are contrary to the proposal that more voices and ideas inherently equate to better solutions (Harrison & Rouse, 2014). For these participants in an initial exploration of student-led collaboration, the size of the group was overwhelming. The dancers struggled to design their own creative and logistical structures that would support artistic integrity. The novelty of collective leadership often left them confused and disconnected. At one point, when the group was having trouble solidifying ideas, Beth said, "We're all fully capable of making something, why is this so hard?". She recognized that each member of the group had valuable expertise to contribute, but her comment points to their inability to reach a consensus. Their desire to incorporate everyone's ideas and "be fair", often prevented the project from moving forward. In a collective leadership structure, full consensus is not always practical (Starhawk, 2015). Over the course of the project, certain participants provided suggestions for navigating and including everyone's ideas, but these structures would either never be initiated or would rapidly disintegrate: 48 Naomi suggested that they create a group phrase together to help clarify the theme of the dance. Spencer agreed, adding that parts of the phrase could be used as motifs throughout other segments of the dance. Rachel said, "To make the pattern, we can literally just have like an order, and one of us starts, and then we're like, okay, now the next person go, this is my move." She made some arm movements as she did this to illustrate the concept of accumulating movements. The dancers formed a circle, and the first three movements were created after some confusion about which direction the choreographer role should be passed. Standing in a circle soon became problematic as movements traveled forward and the dancers collided. There was laughter as someone said "I feel like we should NOT be in a circle right now." Rachel said, "Well, we know the order right?"…The dancers turned to face the same direction, and the orderly passing of the choreographer role soon disappeared. The process became based on whoever had an idea in the moment. Rachel, who was standing on the edge of the group, experimented with several movement ideas, but never spoke up soon enough before a more vocal dancer made a suggestion. Towards the end of the workshop, Spencer looked around at the group and said, "Does anyone else have…like if you didn't make something, do you want to put something here at the end?" Everyone turned to look around at those who hadn't supplied any movement. Rachel said, "Well, that's why I like the circle idea, because it's supposed to be a collaborative effort, but we just let it go, and we still get leaders." Someone else said they could add more during the next workshop. Elle agreed, "Yeah, and we should go in some kind of order." 49 Spencer said, "Yeah, next time we should make sure everyone has a part in it," (excerpt from fieldnotes, March 4, 2017). Here, the participants attempted to establish a rotating system of authority. This method of revolving leadership can be a successful tool in collective decision making (Preskill & Brookfield, 2009). The dancers clearly desired a collective process over a hierarchical one, but they had failed to fully establish and adhere to their own guidelines, as recommended by Starhawk (2015), that would help them in making group decisions. The participants recognized the inconsistency with their circle process, but they did not define ways in which the structure they'd created could be maintained. The dancers were willing to state what they as a group had failed to accomplish and equated this acknowledgement to solving the problem. They did not know how to collectively reinforce the rules or hold each other accountable either because they didn't know how, or they didn't feel comfortable. As Leavitt (2003) states, it is incredibly difficult to diverge from a deeply embedded system of hierarchy. My findings illustrate that this challenge is present in formal dance training as Sööt and Viskus (2013) suggest. The participants' unfamiliarity with other systems of leadership made them hesitant to fully engage. Throughout the process, several of the dancers displayed certain attributes of collective leadership in different ways. Spencer often helped other girls to share their voices by paving the way for them to speak. In one instance, she said, "Okay guys, Ruby has an idea for what could go next." Other times she asked someone to repeat a suggestion or question if she felt the rest of the group had overlooked it. She recognized that full group participation would lead to shared ownership of the project as Preskill and Brookfield (2009) promote. Layla incorporated humor when the atmosphere got tense, serving as a kind of mediator. She would spontaneously break out a vocabulary of playful dance moves that made the others laugh. Jill made the most attempts 50 to synthesize and clarify information within the group by restating directions or asking questions, but the rest of the group did not always listen attentively or absorb the information. The actions of Spencer, Layla and Jill illustrate that they were committed to the shared leadership model, but the lack of collective practice made it difficult for the group to move forward as a whole. The rest of the participants rarely stepped forward with suggestions, and were timid in their interactions with the group. This was due to some dancers not knowing how to contribute or not having the desire to lead. Others wanted to make contributions, but didn't feel empowered to do so based on perceived responses from others. I wish this process could be a chance or an opportunity for those who don't usually contribute ideas to speak their mind without fear of being rejected. At the same time, I wish it would be a chance for those outspoken people to take a step back and listen to others' ideas. Like today, I had an idea I thought was good, so I put it out there, but someone didn't like it, or they liked their idea better, so I ended up getting shut down. I'm left feeling like I shouldn't speak out anymore because my ideas aren't being used (excerpt from Rachel's journal, March 8, 2017). In the above excerpt, Rachel explains how she didn't feel valued within the collaborative process. Others also felt disempowered by undesirable responses, and displayed a lack of buy-in when certain group members exhibited leadership abilities and confidence. The dancers did this by ignoring suggestions or directives. This attitude restrained the actions of those who were attempting to be leaders on some level. In her journal, Jill wrote, "The amount I talked depended on the vibe I was receiving from my fellow mates…It just shut off my creative flow and made me not want to participate". Jill's sense of empowerment was directly affected by the resistance from other girls. 51 In her final journal entry, Elle wrote, "Working with a large group with different backgrounds, opinions and visions takes a lot of patience and compromise. If we were able to do this again, I think it would be beneficial to really clarify our purpose first". Through the process, she had discovered that in order to achieve a common goal, it is not possible to accept every single idea (Starhawk, 2015). Despite the often-frustrating nature of compromise, many of the participants expressed that the learning process was worthwhile. Beth stated that prior to this experience, she had always thought individuality was the best way to approach choreography; this process opened up new possibilities for her to find communal creative solutions. Through these workshops, the dancers made discoveries about collaboration through a social lens as well as an artistic one, recognizing a need for a longer timeframe to develop a successful method of collective leadership. Dance as an Outlet for Social Development "I feel such a strong connection to these girls. You have these abstract thoughts that other people can't relate to but everyone here understands your crazy talk." - Layla The experiences of the participants in this research illuminate the idea that peer relationships are a primary benefit and incentive for adolescents engaged in dance. While dance participation was the impetus for many of their close friendships, for others, the relationships were the reason for dancing in the first place. For teen female dancers, it is often impossible to decipher which statement is more accurate: "I have friends because I dance", or, "I dance to be with friends". The literature on adolescent development explains that a strong personal identity and positive peer relationships are vital to growth (DesMariasi, Yang and Farzanehkia, 2000; Hawker, Hohmann & Hohmann, 1982; Seigel, 2013). For the participants in this study, dance 52 was a platform for them to develop as social beings. In our first meeting, the dancers recognized the ways that dance allowed them to connect with others: Zoya: "Dancing with other girls has given me confidence and helped [me] to feel empowerment in my life." Spencer: "Yeah, going off of that, dance has really taught me how to have a positive relationship with other girls rather than being in competition." Jill: "When you spend seven hours a day dancing in a workshop like we did in Portland, you get that sister bond. Just that connection, and feeling each other, and being aware of each other in the space, and watching each other, and praising each other…created that close relationship." Spencer: "Yeah, with strangers from across the country, by the second week we were all just laying on top of each other. We broke through all the boundaries through dance, that a lot of people don't get from just talking with people at school," (excerpt from fieldnotes, January 11, 2017). This conversation between participants highlights the positive social connections they have forged through dance. First, Zoya explains that the process of moving with other girls has given her a sense of social security and freedom. Spencer and Jill describe how dance was an avenue for them to relate to new people through a common artistic and physical language. Their comments reflect a desire for deeply personal relationships centered around appreciation rather than rivalry. The girls attribute the capacity to achieve this level of connection to their dance experience and a belief that this cannot be satisfied in typical social settings such as school. This coincides with the assertions of Ben-Eliyahu, Rhodes and Scales (2014) that adolescents are more intrinsically motivated by activities that encourage social interaction. The 53 findings of Patrick et al. (1999) point out that positive peer relationships are an incentive for teens to continue their involvement in talent-building activities. The participants in this project not only benefitted from social interactions with other dancers, but asserted that communication learned in dance helped them succeed in other social situations. Unlike the adolescent dancers interviewed in Patrick's, et al. (1999) study, those in my research felt their need for peer relationships was fulfilled through dance, rather than socially drained by it. Close friendships and peer acceptance created an empowering and supportive environment. Although she was very shy, Mary's longstanding friendship with Layla allowed her to contribute valuable ideas to the project: What I worked on today with Layla was putting our personal memories that we have with each other into movement. It felt very fulfilling to me to dance about things that have meaning (excerpt from Mary's journal, February 24, 2017). I took a picture with Mary because we've been friends forever…I think we became friends because of dance. I've had lots of good things come to me because of dance (excerpt from Layla's journal, February 24, 2017). These two journal excerpts show the importance of Mary and Layla's friendship, and the girls' interest in portraying their connection through creative movement. The friendly group dynamic was extremely valued by the participants and impacted the way they felt about dance in general. The inspiration for the project's design stemmed from a desire to memorialize their time together as dancers while acknowledging their impending departure from each other following graduation. Research by Dzindolet and Paulus (2008), and Harrison and Rouse (2014) states that groups must create a safe environment in which to be creative. The participants in my study had 54 built an intimate, connected community in which they each felt respected through their shared dancer identity. The girls proudly branded themselves as "dancers", and this shared identity was a further source of empowerment. In our first workshop, the students spoke at length about their distinctiveness as dancers and how it had shaped their interactions with others: There was some back and forth discussion about how peers at school don't really understand what it means to be a dancer or what happens in the studio space. Someone said "People just don't get it." There was laughter and agreement from the group. Zoya said, "There are skills I've learned in dance that other people just don't have." Layla agreed and explained how she sees the world in a different way because of her dance experiences. Creative movement has given her another point of view. Spencer said, "In dance, you can say, ‘How does red move?' But no one else does that." There was more hearty laughter and signs from the others that these kinds of quirky exchanges were familiar and frequent. Zoya said that she was driven to assert her identity as a dancer at school. She expressed that it was important for her to create a positive perception of dancers - that you can be artistic and intelligent (excerpt from fieldnotes, January 11, 2017). In the eyes of the participants, this collective dancer identity set them apart from the rest of the world and helped them to create an intimate, trusting community. This is in contrast to the findings by Patrick, et al. (1999), that negative peer interactions result from differences. While their interviews with youth revealed social detriments that stemmed from having a distinctive dancer identity, my participants thrived on the individuality and felt it provided them with an elevated sense of self. Influence of Female Socialization 55 "Nobody wants to step on someone else's toes." - Blake Teens are motivated by positive social interactions and are driven to develop close relationships with peers (Berndt, 1982; Hartup, 1993; Patrick, et al., 1999; Savin-Williams & Berndt, 1990). Adolescent girls are especially dependent on friendships as a measure of selfworth (Tolman, et al. 2006). But while an intimate group dynamic empowered some participants to try new things and remain invested in the project, pressure to maintain peer status often limited their capacity as leaders. Their interactions were profoundly influenced by gender norms and the social expectations for women and girls. The participants believed that their friendships were reliant on a perceived equality as dancers, and leadership designation within the group was seen as a threat to that relationship standing. This finding is parallel to the research asserting that adolescent girls often silence their genuine selves in order to sustain peer relationships (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Harter, 1998; Tolman, et al., 2006). Part of the group's desire for collective leadership stemmed from their need for peer equality. Their efforts to suppress individual leaders, mirror Hughes's (1988) observations that girls purposely adjust potentially competitive situations in order to maintain harmonious friendships. Rather than allowing an individual to temporarily step forward as a director, the group non-verbally elected to restrict leadership entirely. An example of this arose during the fifth workshop. After recognizing gaps in the participants' collaborative decision making skills, I suggested to the group that they may want to select a director in order to keep things moving and help make final decisions. I asked if they wanted to nominate someone inside the group, but the participants requested that I take on that role: They all pointed at me and said, "You do it." 56 Layla said, "I think it's better if it's you." When I asked why, Jill explained, "I just feel like we might get more frustrated with each other if someone is in the director position. We should all be on the same page." Layla: "If one of us was to lead…if there isn't a leader, all of us are more equal in giving input in this dance." Jill: "Yeah, then it's more like our dance versus…" Naomi: "And there's less being angry about decisions." Spencer: "Yeah, we're all just really opinionated," (excerpt from fieldnotes, March 7, 2017). The dancers were willing to relinquish a certain amount of autonomy in order to remain on common ground and avoid confrontation that may disrupt their intimate group dynamic. They assumed that their continued friendship was dependent on maintaining equality and leadership was seen as a threat to that status. Additionally, Naomi and Jill's comments illuminate a perceived necessity to suppress negative emotions, and both state a desire to avoid being frustrated and angry. Like the participants in Brown and Gilligan's (1992) research, the dancers had clearly been socialized to believe that female arguments are inherently destructive and that loud, emotional exchanges would result in diminished relationships. In a reflective discussion about some participants' lack of preparation, Spencer said, "What do you do when people do come with things and other people don't…how do you work around that without saying, okay, you're out of the dance?" The theme of conflict avoidance is seen as Spencer attempts to express a concern without calling out specific individuals, while also making clear that she would never ask someone else to not participate - that would be "mean". 57 The participants desired accountability, but did not want to enforce rules for fear of social backlash (Koch, 2005; Schneider, et al., 2010). These data indicates the loss of voice concept theorized by Brown and Gilligan (1992): silencing strong feelings, quieting loud dialogue, and preventing the vocalization of disagreements. This phenomenon is a result of the way female adolescents are socialized to behave. These dancers displayed interactions that valued "being nice", remaining emotionally in control, and veiling thoughts that may be seen as "opinionated". There seemed to be an internalized threshold for when contributing a viewpoint crossed over into being opinionated - a quality that was clearly viewed as derogatory, as Spencer's comment shows in the earlier excerpt: "Yeah, we're all just really opinionated.". The journal entries were fraught with discouragement and annoyance at those who displayed this trait: "There are some really strongheaded and loud people in the group" and "Strongly opinionated people are intimidating to face." Others girls expressed regret at having asserted themselves: "I have this feeling that I talked too much" and "I'm sorry I keep saying things…" Being opinionated meant voicing too many individual thoughts, threatening the noncompetitive environment they endeavored to maintain. It also illustrates a limited tolerance for assertive female behavior even amongst themselves (Fox, 1977; Schneider, et al., 2010). During our member checking session in the final workshop, Spencer acknowledged that they felt any directive required a follow up apology. She said, "One of us would give an idea, and then they'd be like ‘oh, sorry' or ‘we don't have to do that'." An apologetic affect reflects society's expectations for females to be likeable (Rudman & Glick, 2001; Schneider, et al., 2010). Likability relies on not causing trouble or offending others. Research explains that the frequency with which women apologize is connected to a low threshold for what they understand 58 as an offense (Schumann & Ross, 2010), in this case, behavior that does not follow normative patterns of "being nice". Like the students playing foursquare in the study by Hughes (1998), my participants apologized for conduct that could be interpreted as "mean". I had observed this apology phenomenon throughout the process of the workshops: Beth said loudly, "So who didn't say anything last time?" Rachel quietly responded, "We're still thinking." Beth backed away, "Oh, sorry." Ruby had been experimenting with the next move, "And then, turn around and go up." Blake noticed she was standing in front of Ruby, so she said "sorry", and moved out of the way. Layla turned the wrong way, and said, "K, wait, sorry, can you show it again?" Ruby repeated the movement sequence for her. Spencer said, "We need something with arms here…or whatever," (excerpt from fieldnotes, March 8, 2017). This interaction contains a wealth of "sorrys" with various meanings. First, Beth apologized for being impatient and took a que from Rachel that she needed to speak more quietly. Then Blake expressed regret for standing in the wrong place. Layla's sorry was two-fold, referencing both her mistake and the need to ask for clarification. Finally, Spencer's suggestion elicited a "whatever" in order to diminish her directive. No matter the reason, the motivation was the same: be nice and stay friends. The girls apologized for things as seemingly inconsequential as standing in front of someone, illustrating their low expectations of each other's tolerance for "meanness". Not saying sorry would be taking an enormous social risk. They expected that their friendships would deteriorate if they did not follow social norms and remain likeable (Rudman & 59 Glick, 2001; Schneider, et al., 2010). As Schumann & Ross (2010) assert, the girls in my study had a low tolerance for offensive behavior. The participants became offended if others responded with less than accepting "nice girl" language. The journal entries often read as an exaggeration in comparison to my own observations of the girls' exchanges with one another: When it comes to choreography, I don't feel like I'm being included. When we were talking and choreographing on Saturday, there were two instances when I was shut down by the whole group with loud "no's" and some "I don't like that" or "that's stupid". I know we're very close which is good and all, but I think with that, we have lost our politeness which is a shame (excerpt from Jill's journal, March 8, 2017). Jill's observations illustrate her desire to create an inclusive, non-combative environment, and reveal the underdeveloped interpersonal skills of the participants in the context of collective leadership. Her disappointment at the loss of politeness again shows a value system that places "niceness" over honesty. Tolman et al. (2006) states that loss of voice includes repressing one's own needs and desires; Jill's journal entry portrays her desire for others to repress their personal opinions about her contributions. Her reference to the group as being "very close" is interesting in this context, because close relationships should invite a truthful exchange of ideas (Brown & Gilligan, 1992). Spencer described a similar experience in her journal: Some people are very headstrong, and it's been interesting, and difficult to work around that. In some of our rehearsals where everyone has been there, it gets difficult and is even intimidating to speak your mind and share ideas. Strongly-opinionated people are intimidating to face or try to convince otherwise. Also, it's more of a personality trait, but 60 I feel like some people are much better at hiding emotions, or when they don't like a decision, but others are not, which in turn makes group leadership and decision making much harder (excerpt from Spencer's journal, March 8, 2017). Spencer's distaste for other's being too vocal was ironic, given that she herself contributed heavily to the creation of the project and spoke the most during our discussions. However, it is another example of the way girls have been socialized to be averse to certain behaviors from other girls. Spencer's journal excerpt also highlights the perceived value of emotional suppression in social interactions (Tolman, et al., 2006). Here again is the idea that girls should be pleasantly reserved versus expressive in order to create a non-threatening environment. The dancers had negative reactions to assertive leadership behavior that did not fit within their established social norms. These reactions match assertions made in the literature about youth leadership and society's responses to what is considered atypical female behavior (Koch, 2005; Kolehmainen, et al., 2014; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004; Rudman & Peter, 2001; Schneider, et al., 2010). When I asked the students about their preferences regarding their role within creating a dance, those who enjoyed holding a leadership position were tentative towards owning it: I asked the students, "How many of you really like to be a choreographer?" Layla, Rachel, Jill and Spencer raised their hands. They looked around at the other six dancers who didn't have their hands raised, and their own hands got a little lower. Layla timidly said, "Well, it depends on who you are working with." Spencer chimed in with, "Yeah, and if you have an idea." 61 I asked how many of them preferred to perform someone else's choreography and Naomi was the only one who raised her hand. I asked Naomi to tell us why she preferred the role of dancer, but she said she wasn't sure (excerpt from fieldnotes, March 7, 2017). It was interesting how those who preferred to be the leader, felt like they had to apologize for it, yet simultaneously, no one really wanted to admit their preference to being led by someone else. In this exchange, the dancers diminished their initial assertiveness by adding disqualifying statements. Layla's addition shows that her interest in being a choreographer is dependent on approval from whomever she works with. Spencer's comment "if you have an idea" is intended to assure the others that she doesn't always have ideas. Owning up to the desire to be "the boss" translated to egotistic, but not wanting to take charge was viewed as being weak. This points to social constructions of male and female traits, with leadership requiring assertive, competitive behavior that is objectionable in women (Koch, 2005; Kolehmainen, et al., 2014; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004; Rudman & Peter, 2001). And yet, our society clearly admires competent leaders, and encourages us to embody that identity in order to be worthwhile. This message is in conflict with the "nice girl" identity. When presented with a situation in which they felt pressured to choose between being the leader and being liked, (Rudman & Glick, 2001; Schneider, et al., 2010), the girls elected to avoid the retaliation they assumed would come. As Fox (1977) explains, normative restrictions are enforced by everyone, including those affected by them. Despite the lack of males in this study, the girls supported gender normative behavior. They designed their interactions based on assumptions that behavior outside these norms, such as appearing too "opinionated", would invite negative reactions from their female peers. Conclusion 62 This experiential learning process provided valuable insights into the experiences of youth engaged in a student-led collaborative project. The findings revealed that the dancers lacked experience with leadership structures that resist hierarchy. It illuminated the importance of recognizing and valuing adolescent peer relationships within the dance environment, as well as the ways in which they affect artistic exploration, student motivation and leadership capabilities. The participants displayed characteristics that point to social stigmas and expectations for adolescent girls. In the following chapter, I will provide some recommendations for how these discoveries may be utilized to empower teen dancers as collaborative leaders and confident artists. 63 Chapter 5: Discussion Introduction This research on teen dance students illuminated a leadership structure within dance culture of the choreographer as the deciding artist and the dancer as the instrument. This hierarchical paradigm limits the abilities of young dancers to see themselves as autonomous decision makers or collective artists. The project also illustrated that peer relationships are a prime motivator for participating in the art form and revealed the influences of socialized female behavior on the dancers' leadership abilities. In this chapter, I will explain the implications of these findings, provide recommendations for dance educators, suggest areas for future research, and discuss the impact this project has had on my personal teaching philosophy. Implications The culture of dance is driven by an artist/instrument mentality. While this practice is not fundamentally inappropriate, it is important for artists to explore additional avenues towards collaborative creation. In order for the performing arts to establish their import and capacity, there is a need for increased collaborative adaptability among dancers; these skills are transferrable and valuable in any occupation or life pursuit. Currently this need is not being met due to the lack of alternative leadership models presented within the discipline. My research illustrated that hierarchical structures are deeply engrained and that change will rely on those currently in positions of authority to empower dancers to be fully active artists. This study revealed that dance training is an outlet for adolescent social development. An awareness of the ways in which adolescent females interact and their motivations for those actions can help dance educators to design curriculum that responds to the need for role experimentation and the expansion of interpersonal skills. The fact that dance is a female 64 dominated field makes these findings especially relevant. Young girls need to be cognizant of how they interact with one another in order to be proficient in collective leadership and empowered as artists. The holistic focus of Tanner Dance supplied a strong creative foundation for the participants, without which, they would have been unable to attempt this kind of endeavor. This was evident in the participant's ability to choreograph sophisticated movement phrases and explore potential solutions to creative problems, as well as their overall sense of resiliency when the process became challenging. The findings of this research have uncovered areas for growth within the organization's curriculum, primarily in helping young dancers to explore leadership roles beyond that of a choreographer, and to fully conceptualize and carry out their own projects. This research process provided the participants with a platform for discovering their strengths and weaknesses as leaders, collaborators and artists. The dancers expressed that the experience opened their eyes to the challenges and responsibilities of taking on an independent project. They recognized the gaps in their own abilities and were able to critically reflect on the process. The group expressed that the project helped them to expand communication skills that they could utilize going forward. Several of the participants plan to continue their dance education beyond high school, and they stated that this experience helped them to see innovative ways of creating movement and working with other artists. Recommendations Providing Immersive Leadership Roles Young dance students should be given decision making opportunities that go beyond teacher driven outcomes or expectations. This concept challenges the traditional expert mindset, and instead supports a model where everyone is engaged in learning, creating and leading. This 65 does not mean that adult educators no longer direct their students or choreograph material, or that student choreographers should not ever be given full control of individual projects. Rather, I recommend a fluidity in artistic inquiry and equitable opportunities for growth. Identifying leadership roles other than that of choreographer will help to develop dancers' self-efficacy. When dancers understand that a leader does not just give directions, but identifies problems, inspires others and effects change, they can more easily visualize themselves as leaders. Projects should provide students with a platform to become the leader and not just act like one. Curriculum should support leadership development and empowerment through a progression of responsibility and youth mentorship. Supporting Social Development Through Dance Teachers should help students to develop projects that build on their values rather than disrupt them. If the dancers believe that their peer relationships will be negatively affected by a particular process, they will not be motivated to experiment with said process. Diminishing the importance of adolescent social advancement in the scope of dance education will only result in loss of interest or stress on the part of the students. Dance curriculum should enforce positive perceptions of leadership behavior, and students should critically assess the ways they communicate with each other. This could be done through having youth practice using assertive language as well as being receptive to it. When working collaboratively, students should be encouraged to have honest, open discussions about emotional reactions, expectations and common goals. Rather than perpetuating behavior that is simply "nice", teachers should encourage students to consider what is genuine and affective, while still maintaining a respectful learning environment. Developing a Collective Leadership Model 66 Instead of being presented with the path of performing instrument against the role of autocratic designer, the discipline of dance should strive to create complete artists who are capable of flexibly transitioning between and eventually transcending those distinctions. Dance instructors should provide opportunities for students to practice collective leadership in addition to definitive choreographer roles. Compositional assignments should break away from the choreographer/dancer model to address the concept of shared ownership and collective decision making. But these collaborative choreographic activities need to be expanded from combining contributions (my move, then your move, then the next person's move) to synthesizing them. Students should learn to accept that their ideas may not be utilized every time, and it that does not mean they have not contributed to the process. Reflective analysis was a critical component of this research project and should be included in collective leadership curriculum. This could be accomplished through group discussions, journal writing and sharing personal reflections, as the participants in this project did. Filming the dancers working together and reviewing their own process is another method to enlighten students about the ways they interact, as I was informed by observing the participant's process. The key is to make reflective analysis a regular practice and not just something that occurs at the end of a project or lesson. Incorporating perceive-and-reflect sessions into all stages of a process is necessary for students to understand their own evolution as a leader. Leadership Elasticity for Dance Instructors This research reveals a need for professional development on youth-directed learning. Adequate time must be provided for student-led processes. This is difficult to alter due to the entrenched expectations for student achievement throughout the year. Teachers need to give themselves permission to identify which existing projects, lesson plans, or events could be 67 adjusted to allow for more student control and responsibility. Finally, dance curriculum should encourage ongoing formal and informal feedback between teachers and students to uncover the motivations of both parties. Instructors may be reluctant to ask students about their opinions and experiences for fear of receiving negative feedback about their own teaching. However, to not ask, results in the veiling of student motivations and learning gaps. Limitations and Future Research This study was limited to a short time frame of approximately three and a half months and therefore only analyzed the immediate experiences of the participants, rather than any longterm effects. The timeframe of this research was not adequate for the participants to fully develop a choreographic project that they felt confident in performing for others. This was somewhat anti-climactic. However, my research was not contingent on a final product, but instead focused on examining the participants in an entirely foreign process. Future research should observe a youth-initiated process over the course of six months to a year. This longer time period would allow for a more comprehensive project and further self-discovery on behalf of the participants. The dancers in this research were limited by the size of the group, as scheduling for 11 busy students was nearly impossible. Absences often resulted in the project coming to a halt. These challenges were usually out of the dancers' control, but did have an effect on their overall experience and what they were able to accomplish. In order to establish the fundamental skills needed for successful collaborative leadership and elevated artistry, students should begin in smaller groups of perhaps four or five and then progress to projects involving a greater number of voices. 68 I was not able to observe and analyze the effects of the project on the participants going forward. It remains a question as to how or if the dancers will incorporate what they learned and experienced into upcoming endeavors. In future research, follow up interviews with the participants one to five years out from the completion of a student-led project would allow for the longitudinal analysis of any lasting impact or stimulus of the experience. Learning Objectives The research process provided an opportunity for me to expand my skills in critical and analytic thinking through the cyclical process of research, data collection, synthesizing concepts, integrating and evolving my own ideas, and in developing a persuasive argument. This project required me to absorb unfamiliar theories and ideas, and look at my own discipline through a new lens. I now have a more insightful perspective of dance education, collective leadership and adolescent development. This project allowed me to step outside of my position as a teacher, and discover the role of observer and facilitator, providing me with a deeper sense of empathy toward my students. Through an experiential learning process, I gained insight into the benefits and challenges of collective leadership. Watching the dancers work together caused me to reflect on my own collaboration skills, and recognize ways that I can better interact with co-workers and youth. Now that I have a more comprehensive understanding of how to enable others to lead, I can initiate transformational processes. Moving forward, I plan to create and implement curriculum using a collective leadership model as an avenue for helping young female dancers improve their self-efficacy as artistic leaders. Due to the immersive nature of my thesis research, I have an increased social consciousness of adolescent female leadership and interpersonal development. The research I 69 collected and conducted provided a lens through which I more clearly comprehend the nuanced ways youth are effected by socially constructed gender norms. I discovered that my participants suffered from "loss of voice", a phenomenon generated by society's expectations for agreeable female behavior. As a teacher, my goal is to help reduce this phenomenon in the girls I work with by empowering them to develop their authentic, unapologetic self. Personal Impact This project allowed me to understand the young people I work with on an extraordinary new level. By taking a step back as an instructor and observing the interactions of my students, I was able to appreciate them even more as dancers and human beings. This experience will inform my future interactions with students, placing greater value on their friendships and increasing opportunities for them to explore their own evolving identities. I am newly motivated to explore the choreographic and collaborative interests of adolescents with a greater awareness of how my position as an adult teacher impacts the autonomy of my students. 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Self-efficacy. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health. Item: 93872218. 82 Appendix A: Parent Consent Form DANCE EDUCATION THESIS PROJECT PARENT CONSENT FORM Purpose of Study I am conducting qualitative research that explores the collaborative creative process of adolescent dance students in a youth-directed project. This study will discover whether this type of learning experience is an effective tool to help teens develop higher level critical and innovative thinking, empowerment and social connectivity. The process will illuminate dance curriculum potential, transform current teaching and learning practices, and help dance educators stay connected to the students and their interests. This thesis project will be submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Community Leadership at Westminster College. Study Procedures Participating students will attend 8-10 workshops where they will engage in group discussions and creative processes as they develop a project centered around a community issue of their own choosing. All logistical and artistic decisions will be made by the students. The participants will be asked to complete a reflective journal entry at the end of each workshop. I will read the students' journals, but will not share them with anyone else. The workshops will take place January - March, 2017. Each workshop will be 1-2 hours long. Exact schedule will be determined by the group's availability. At the end of the project, the dancers will be asked to participate in a collective analysis of the research. As the researcher, I will observe and analyze the dancers' collaborative and creative processes, and write detailed field notes about what occurs in each workshop. I will also provide a supporting role for the students as they develop their project. Confidentiality Throughout the workshops, it is important to maintain a safe space for the dancers to engage in open discussions and creativity. All individual comments and contributions will be kept confidential to ensure each dancer feels confident in sharing her opinions and ideas. Each student will be asked to provide her own pseudonym in order to protect her identity as a minor. These pseudonyms will be used in all participant references throughout the written thesis. Should the participants choose to create a public performance as part of their project, this will affect confidentiality. Any student who chooses not to perform, may do so without adverse repercussions. 83 Potential Risks/Benefits The potential risks are minimal. This project will involve a time commitment. There is always a risk of injury when dancing, but I will not require the participants to attempt any movement that is beyond their physical ability. The project could potentially result in social anxiety if your student feels excluded or undervalued during the group processes. Should this issue arise, I will provide emotional support and address the problem with the group if they are unable to resolve it on their own. The experience of working together creatively could also increase their social connectedness with their peers. Other benefits may include a sense of accomplishment and a heightened level of commitment to an activity they are passionate about. Refusal/Withdrawal Your student's participation in this study is completely voluntary. Your student may withdraw from the study at any time. If you have any questions, you may contact me at [e-mail] or 801-821-6394. Consent to Participate in the Study I permit my student, _______________________________________, to participate in this qualitive research project and understand/agree to the above terms. _________________________________________ Signature of Parent/Guardian Name (Please Print): _____________ Date 84 Appendix B: Minor Assent Form DANCE EDUCATION THESIS PROJECT MINOR ASSENT FORM Purpose of Study I am conducting qualitative research that explores the collaborative creative process of adolescent dance students in a youth-directed project. This study will discover whether this type of learning experience is an effective tool to help teens develop higher level critical and innovative thinking, empowerment and social connectivity. The process will illuminate dance curriculum potential, transform current teaching and learning practices, and help dance educators stay connected to students and their interests. This thesis project will be submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Community Leadership at Westminster College. Study Procedures As a participant, you will attend 8-10 workshops where you engage in group discussions and creative processes to develop a project centered around a community issue. All logistical and artistic decisions will be made by you and the other student participants. You will be asked to complete a reflective journal entry at the end of each workshop. I will read your journals, but will not share them with anyone else. The workshops will take place January - March, 2017. Each workshop will be 1-2 hours long. Exact schedule will be determined by the group's availability. At the end of the project, you will be asked to participate in a collective analysis of the project and provide feedback. As the researcher, I will observe and analyze the group's collaborative and creative processes, and provide a supporting role as you develop the project. Confidentiality Throughout the workshops, it is important to maintain a safe space for the dancers to engage in open discussions and creativity. All individual comments and contributions will be kept confidential to ensure each dancer feels confident in sharing her opinions and ideas. You will be asked to provide your own pseudonym in order to protect your identity as a minor. These pseudonyms will be used in all participant references throughout the written thesis. Potential Risks/Benefits The potential risks are minimal. This project will involve a time commitment on your part. There is always a risk of injury when dancing, but I will not require you to attempt any movement that is beyond your physical ability. 85 The project could potentially result in social anxiety if you feel excluded or undervalued during the group processes. Should this problem arise, I will provide emotional support, and address the issue with the group if needed. The experience of working together creatively could also increase your social connectedness with your peers. Other benefits may include a sense of accomplishment and a heightened level of commitment to an activity you are passionate about. Refusal/Withdrawal Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any time without any negative repercussions. If you have any questions, you may contact me at [e-mail] or 801-821-6394. Assent to Participate in the Study I agree to participate in this qualitive research project and understand/agree to the above terms. _________________________________________ Signature of Participant Name (Please Print): _____________ Date 86 Appendix C: Participant Consent Form DANCE EDUCATION THESIS PROJECT PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM (FOR 18-YEAR-OLD PARTICIPANTS) Purpose of Study I am conducting qualitative research that explores the collaborative creative process of adolescent dance students in a youth-directed project. This study will discover whether this type of learning experience is an effective tool to help teens develop higher level critical and innovative thinking, empowerment and social connectivity. The process will illuminate dance curriculum potential, transform current teaching and learning practices, and help dance educators stay connected to students and their interests. This thesis project will be submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Community Leadership at Westminster College. Study Procedures As a participant, you will attend 8-10 workshops where you engage in group discussions and creative processes to develop a project centered around a community issue. All logistical and artistic decisions will be made by you and the other student participants. You will be asked to complete a reflective journal entry at the end of each workshop. I will read your journals, but will not share them with anyone else. The workshops will take place January - March, 2017. Each workshop will be 1-2 hours long. Exact schedule will be determined by the group's availability. At the end of the project, you will be asked to participate in a collective analysis of the project and provide feedback. As the researcher, I will observe and analyze the group's collaborative and creative processes, and provide a supporting role as you develop the project. Confidentiality Throughout the workshops, it is important to maintain a safe space for the dancers to engage in open discussions and creativity. All individual comments and contributions will be kept confidential to ensure each dancer feels confident in sharing her opinions and ideas. You will be asked to provide your own pseudonym in order to protect your identity as a minor. These pseudonyms will be used in all participant references throughout the written thesis. Potential Risks/Benefits The potential risks are minimal. This project will involve a time commitment on your part. There is always a risk of injury when dancing, but I will not require you to attempt any movement that is beyond your physical ability. 87 The project could potentially result in social anxiety if you feel excluded or undervalued during the group processes. Should this problem arise, I will provide emotional support, and address the issue with the group if needed. The experience of working together creatively could also increase your social connectedness with your peers. Other benefits may include a sense of accomplishment and a heightened level of commitment to an activity you are passionate about. Refusal/Withdrawal Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any time without any negative repercussions. If you have any questions, you may contact me at [e-mail] or 801-821-6394. Consent to Participate in the Study I agree to participate in this qualitive research project and understand/agree to the above terms. _________________________________________ Signature of Participant Name (Please Print): Birthdate (M/D/Y): _____________ Date 88 Appendix D: Workshop Guide WORKSHOP GUIDE Workshop One: Introduction "Thank you for participating in this research project. Before we start, I just want to remind everyone that your participation is completely voluntary and you can withdraw at any time. I will also keep all individual comments and contributions confidential. I want this to be a safe place where you can share your honest opinions." "I'm interested in understanding what community issues are important to you, and how you as dance students will work together to create a project that you design as a group. During these workshops, I will help to facilitate your discussions and will fulfill any tasks or provide support that you request. I will not make any final decisions or steer the project in a specific direction. I want this to be about what you are interested in doing. As you work together I will be observing and taking notes. I have a journal for each of you that you will write in during the last few minutes of each of our workshops. At the end of the project I will give you all an opportunity to review my research and provide feedback or express any concerns." Group Discussion Prompts: 1. How would each of you describe your dance experience up to this point? (This question is to help establish how the participants perceive themselves as dancers, not how I as an adult teacher perceive them.) 2. What community issues are you interested in? Why do you find these issues intriguing? How do these issues make you feel? 3. If you could design any kind of creative project, with no limits, what would you do? As the group brainstorms, create a list of "Community Issues" and "Creative Projects" on the whiteboard. "Between now and our next workshop, be thinking about what community issue you would like to focus on and how you might design a creative project around that issue. Be prepared to share your ideas next time, and make decisions as a group about the project and how to move forward." "Before we finish, please take a few minutes to write in your journal about today's discussion or anything else that comes to mind related to this experience. I'll be collecting these journals after each of our workshops and using what you've written to add to my own notes. I will not share your journals with anyone, but you may choose to share your reflections with the group. You can use any of these questions to help you write, but you don't have to." Write the following questions on the whiteboard: • How do you define yourself as a dancer? 89 • • • Which of the community issues discussed were most exciting to you? Most daunting? How did your ideas compare to the rest of the dancers? Is there anything you would add to the list? What kinds of potential creative projects are you interested in doing? How did you feel about the group's discussion process? Did you feel included? Listened to? Did you listen well to others? What might you change next time? Workshop Two: Defining the Project Place the "Community Issue" list and "Creative Project" list from Workshop One on the whiteboard for participants to review. "Last time we talked about community issues that you found interesting and brainstormed ideas for creative projects. Is there anything you would like to add to the list or discuss further now that you have had some time to think about it on your own?" "The goal for today is for you to decide on the community issue you'd like to focus on and what kind of creative project you'll develop surrounding that issue." Group Discussion Prompts: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Is this an issue/project that you feel will engage you as an artist in a new way? Where will this take place? Who does this project affect? How will you divide tasks and negotiate decisions as a group? What is each dancer's role? What kinds of supplies or other forms of support do you need to complete this project? How will you know if the project is successful or not? What are the potential problems that might arise? Can this project be completed within the timeframe of the scheduled workshops? What is the procedure if a dancer misses a workshop? Preparations for the next several workshops will be determined based on the outcomes of this discussion. "Please take a few minutes to write in your journal. Here are some questions to get you started, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to." Write the following questions on the whiteboard: • • • • How do you feel about the decisions made today? Do you agree or disagree with the group? What will be your role in the project? What part of the proposed project are you most excited about? Is there anything you are apprehensive or concerned about? Is there anything you would like to change? Do you think this project will affect you as a dance artist? If so, how? 90 Workshops Three - Eight: Project Development Begin each workshop with a group discussion to review details of the proposed project and the goals for the day. Allow time for the dancers to address questions, concerns or changes before they begin working. Observe and offer support when requested. Give the dancers a reminder when they have 10 minutes left to work. End each workshop with a group reflection, planning for the next workshop, and individual journal writing. Journal Prompts: • • • • • What did you accomplish today? How do you feel about how the group is working together? Do you feel you are a valued and contributing member of the group? Is there anything that you would change? Did anything surprise you today? Did you discover something new? How do you think the project is going so far? What are the successes or challenges? When do you feel most engaged in the process? Least engaged? Workshop Nine: Group Reflection "Congratulations on the completion of your project! Today is an opportunity for you to reflect on the process as a group." Group Reflection Prompts: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. What did you learn from this experience? How was this project different from other creative projects you've done? Did you feel you had all the tools you needed to make this project successful? If you were to participate in another project like this, what would you do differently? Did this project change the way you perceive or engage with your community? How would you assess your group's creative and logistical processes? Are you interested in doing more projects like this one? "Thank you for your commitment to this project and for helping me with my research. I hope it was a valuable experience for each of you. Please take a few minutes to write in your journal. You can write about anything we discussed today as a group, or anything else you've reflected on personally." 91 Member-Checking Session: Collaborative Analysis "Now that I've had a chance to analyze all my notes over the course of this project, I want to share my results with you, and give you an opportunity to provide feedback or express concerns. Please do not hesitate to share any of your thoughts with me; I am genuinely interested in how you feel about the way I've evaluated your learning process." Share research findings with the group, and allow time for comments and questions. "Thank you again for participating in this research. I really appreciate all the work you've put into this. If you have any other questions or thoughts you'd like to share with me, please call or email me." APPROVAL of a thesis/project submitted by Author(s): Diana Timothy School Department: MACL Title of Thesis: Adolescent Dance Curriculum: Exploring Collective Leadership Through a Student-Led Project The above named master's thesis/project has been read by each member of the supervisory committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citations, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready to be deposited and displayed in the Westminster College-Institutional Repository. Chairperson, Supervisory Committee: Jamie Joanou Approved On 5/8/2017 1:58:52 PM Dean, School: Dr. Melanie Agnew Approved On 5/21/2017 10:49:38 AM STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO DEPOSIT & DISPLAY THESIS IN THE INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY Name of Author(s): Diana Timothy School Department: MACL Title of Thesis: Adolescent Dance Curriculum: Exploring Collective Leadership Through a Student-Led Project With permission from the author(s), the staff of the Giovale Library of Westminster College has the right to deposit and display an electronic copy of the above named thesis in its Institutional Repository for educational purposes only. I hereby give my permission to the staff of the Giovale Library of Westminster College to deposit and display as described the above named thesis. I retain ownership rights to my work, including the right to use it in future works such as articles or a book. Submitted by the Author(s) on 5/6/2017 12:43:12 PM The above duplication and deposit rights may be terminated by the author(s) at any time by notifying the Director of the Giovale Library in writing that permission is withdrawn.