An examination of the Brinson report with a suggested model for introducing dance to New Zealand secondary schools

Abstract

In 1981, the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council commissioned Mr Peter Brinson to investigate and report on the state of dance in New Zealand. This thesis examines that part of the Report which is concerned with dance in education; in particular, secondary schools. The thesis begins by reviewing the philosophy, which advocates that the arts, including dance, are of vital importance in the education of the whole person. Much of this philosophy can be attributed to the work of Herbert Read and Rudolf Laban. The recommendations to the Department of Education by the Brinson Report are then reappraised in light of changes in the educational climate since 1981. Principal developments which are seen as potentially relevant to the position of dance in secondary schools include the new core curriculum, the revised health, physical education and English syllabuses, the review of the senior examination system and the Secondary Staffing Report. Chapter III of this thesis summarises the results of a questionnaire sent to all secondary schools in the Wellington Region. The questionnaire was designed to ascertain whether the potential exists for establishing dance as a regular part of the curriculum, given the limited resources of time, space and staffing. A suggested MODEL for an introductory dance programme is then laid out, including a series of lesson-plans. The thesis concludes by summarising the arguments for including dance in the school curriculum.