Phenomenological vignette research in dance

Phenomenological vignette research as an innovative method in dance and music education research

The Watchin' Dance project uses phenomenological vignette research to test a new and innovative method for dance, sport and music education research. We are following the Innsbruck vignette research approach (Schratz, Schwarz & Westfall-Greiter 2012, Agostini et al. 2023).

The approach of phenomenological vignette research is still relatively new, has so far been used primarily in school and classroom research and is not yet established as a method in aesthetic-cultural education. As a survey instrument in qualitative research, vignettes reproduce moments and situations from school, lessons, everyday life, social fields, etc. and condense them into concise scenic representations or narratives.

The researchers take part in the situations in an experiential way and record moments, circumstances and incidents that seem interesting. Vignettes are "short, concise narratives that capture moments of (school) experience. [...] They resemble snapshots that capture the dynamic actions of people in concrete situations and fix them in the recording. [...] Like a photograph, the vignettes capture a moment of experience and fix it linguistically and in their captivating effect." (Schratz, Schwarz & Westfall-Greiter 2012, p. 34f.)

Watchin' Dance

With the Watchin' Dance project, we want to use phenomenological vignette research to make a contribution to the development and discussion of methods in dance, sport and music education research. We see the method as an opportunity to constructively approach the chosen research subject of dance reception.

The vignettes written in the project capture particular moments of affectedness, concern or even resistance in dance reception. Of particular interest are the young people's physical and verbal reactions to the dance performance as well as interactions between the students.

The aim of the project is to gain differentiated insights into young people's experiences of receiving contemporary dance and to derive the corresponding educational potential of dance reception. The focus is on the following research questions:

  • What modes of reception do young people exhibit when attending a contemporary dance theater?
  • What appeals to or irritates young people (e.g. forms of movement, musical aspects, staging)?
  • How can they engage with the (dance) theater event?
  • What role does the music play?
  • How do the young people respond to the dance?
  • What are these (aesthetic) experiences and which dimensions of aesthetic experience can be concretized in the reception of dance?

We cooperate with the network "Phänomenologische Vignetten- und Anekdotenforschung" ("VignA" ) and thank especially Prof. Dr. Evi Agostini for her support.

Project description

For the project, we accompanied two groups of pupils to dance performances at the Staatstheater Kassel in the 2023/2024 season. The students were between 15 and 17 years old and attended various schools in Kassel. They have different practical and receptive previous experience with (contemporary) dance.

Image: SaroStock@adobestock.com

The performance began with 15 young people watching the play "The Nutcracker | De Notenkraker" by the United Cowboys (Netherlands). The students were between 16 and 17 years old and were in Year 11 at a grammar school at the time of the theater visit.

With the young people in the second group, we went to the play "Winterwende | Winter Solstice; Baroque Visions for the End of Time" by Kristel van Issum (Netherlands) and Anat Oz (Israel). The students were between 15 and 16 years old and were in tenth grade at a comprehensive school in Kassel at the time of the theater visit.

Work description Staatstheater Kassel

The young people were accompanied by three to four vignette writers at each performance. The researchers recorded individual perceptions, impressions and special features of the young people, the stage action and the audience throughout the play. Above all, the "co-experienced experience or the intersubjective moments of perception and experience by which the vignette writers in the field (in the research situation) [were] affected" (Agostini et al. (Agostini et al. 2023, p. 41) were recorded. Following the play, the experiences were captured in rough vignettes (a first draft). In a subsequent intersubjective exchange, the raw vignettes were validated and condensed into vignettes.

The resulting vignettes are followed by vignette readings, which work out the central experiences in the vignettes, link them with theoretical references and point out the insights to be gained from them regarding reception experiences of contemporary dance.

    Literature

    • Agostini, E., Peterlini, H. K., Donlic, J., Kumpusch, V., Lehner, D., & Sandner, I. (2023). The vignette as an exercise in perception: On the professionalization of pedagogical action. Opladen, Berlin: Barbara Budrich Publishers.
    • Agostini, E., Öztürk, N., Prummer, S., Schatz, V., Symeonidis, V. & Thielmann, A. (2023). Vignette: The vignette as a reflection tool. In E. Agostini, H. K. Peterlini, J. Donlic, V. Kumpusch, D. Lehner & I. Sandner(Eds.), The vignette as an exercise in perception: On the professionalization of pedagogical action(pp. 36-44). Leverkusen, Opladen: Barbara Budrich.
    • Schratz, M., Schwarz, J. F. & Westfall-Greiter, T. (2012). Learning as a formative experience. Vignettes in practical research. Innsbruck: Studienverlag.
    • State Theater Kassel (ed.) (2023). The Nutcracker | De Notenkraker. A meta-cultural_performative_immersive_metaphoricaldance premiere by United Cowboys (Netherlands). Progr., ed. S. Meier-Brösicke (season 2023/24, prem. October 14, 2023). Kassel.
    • State Theater Kassel (ed.) (2024). Winterwende | Winter Solstice. Baroque visions for the end of time. Dance world premieres by Kristel van Issum (Netherlands) and Anat Oz (Israel). Progr., ed. L.G. Anderstam & Th. Teubl (season 2023/24, prem. May 4, 2024). Kassel.