Eyes on Skin: Positioning Dance in Business Education

Abstract

This article examines dance as a pedagogical resource in a non-dancing context and is founded on the author’s long-term experience of employing dance-based methods in business education. The value of dance can be regarded as both instrumental and existential in preparing students for professional life. In order to explore this further, an experimental dance and movement improvisation workshop, Eyes on Skin: dance, dialogue and unexpected encounters, was implemented during Encounters15 conference, with the purpose of exploring wordless communication and authenticity through ensemble work outside a traditional conference setting. Subsequently, three interviews were conducted to support the author’s reflections on how to go beyond the instrumental purpose of dance towards recognizing the unique value of dance-based methods as means of developing perception and self-understanding