This exposition is part of the peer-reviewed article:
Østern, T. P., Reppen, C., O’Connell, S., & Daneberg, M. (2025). Choreographer/researcher/teacher: Developing a/r/tography as an approach to dance pedagogy at Stockholm University of the Arts in a professional learning community of teachers. Nordic Journal of Art & Research, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/ar.5460
In the first round of the course (2022–23), I taught alone. I experienced the teaching as deeply meaningful professional development, allowing me to draw on and integrate my roles as artist, researcher, and teacher. Together with the students—many of whom were also staff—we explored a/r/tography within our specific contexts. I learned a great deal and made adjustments for the next iteration. That said, I found the overall course design to be both functional and inherently a/r/tographic.
Camilla Reppen was a staff student during the first round of the course and also the leader of the large change project we were undergoing at the institution at the time. I invited her to join me as a co-teacher, and in the second year (2023–24), we taught the course together. Co-teaching with Camilla significantly enhanced the experience, and the partnership also contributed to my own professional development. Together with colleagues Stina O'Connell and Madelaine Daneberg—who also participated in the first round of the course in 2022–23—we responded to a call for articles in the Nordic Journal of Art & Research special issue “Living as an a/r/tographer — A Nordic perspective.” We began writing a joint article about our collaborative process during the first iteration of the open course, which further deepened our professional learning.
This exposition is part of that article: Østern, T.P., Reppen, C., O’Connell, S., & Daneberg, M. (2025). Choreographer/researcher/teacher: Developing a/r/tography as an approach to dance pedagogy at Stockholm University of the Arts in a professional learning community of teachers. Nordic Journal of Art & Research, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/ar.5460
At this time, the university had undergone a major reorganisation, and as of February 2023, the Head of the Dance Pedagogy subject area was Ninnie Andersson.
In the third round of the course, in spring 2025—now offered at an advanced level—I co-taught with Mari Flønes (as Camilla Reppen was on leave). Mari was in the final stages of an a/r/tographic PhD project on dance in primary school at the Faculty of Performing Arts, University of Stavanger, Norway. She brought fresh and practical experience in choreographing, researching, and teaching through an a/r/tographic lens. Co-teaching was essential, as we were developing the course for its advanced-level iteration. Mari successfully defended her doctoral thesis on June 5, 2025:
Flønes, M. (2025). Edu-choreography – Choreographing-researching-teaching performative re-turnings of dance (education) in primary school. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Stavanger). University of Stavanger.https://uis.brage.unit.no/uis-xmlui/handle/11250/3195990
