MODE05

The Jazz and Musical Program of the Theaterschool in Amsterdam has started a new model of learning in dance this year.
The students organise their afternoon program around three major tasks (Prestaties) for which they have 12 weeks each.
Every trimester they work towards the presentation in collaboration with fellow students. On a 'market'at the beginning of the trimester students find colleagues to be leader or follower in some projects. The projects are defined according to learning goals the students choose from the curriculum /study guide in dialogue with a teacher. The tasks then will be evaluated according to the particular goals the student has set out / might have changed on the way. The change has major repercussions for the student-teacher relationship, teachers will be much more involved guiding than instructing. The model isnt necessarily more time extensive for the program than the previous model, a lot of time is spent on all new kinds of communication that have to take place, and facilitate and support the prevalent flexibility.
The general philosophy of this model is borrowed from educational advisors who have developed this teaching environment for 12-18 year olds, departing from the idea of intrinsic learning as a much more efficient way of learning.
At the jazz school everything is in full swing, it certainly invigorates all involved in teaching, and it has changed radically the traditional attitude of a jazz dance student, who used to put all effort in trying to fulfill the expectations of musical dance context, now actively organising their own projects all over the building.