Speaker
Description
Examining four community dance groups in Aotearoa/New Zealand, this presentation will share the most common practices that remain critical to the sustainability of each group, and the role that community dance groups play in the lives of their participants and their broader localities. While community dance groups are understood as creative and informal spaces for art education, their practices and impact on their localities also present an opportunity for investment in grassroots sustainable development. The research highlighted within this presentation illustrates the expressed needs of community dance leaders and participants, in order to maintain their practices and the social value that they foster.
CV
Serenity Wise is a PhD candidate in Dance Studies at University of Auckland. Her background spans dance and visual art, as a scholar/practitioner in community-based dance and a curator/educator in art and object-based learning. Her current research explores social and community dance practices, sustainability, and policy. Serenity holds a Master of Community Dance degree from University of Auckland, and a Master of Art History degree from University of London (SOAS).
