Pedagogy of the Observed

What is it about?

"The Pedagogy of the Observed" discusses a commercial dance studio that has implemented real-time digital video surveillance. The studio video cameras allow the classes to be observed in the waiting area, the director's office and on the internet. The case study discusses the impact of surveillance on the behaviour of the teachers, administration and parents. This research adds to the discussion of panopticism in dance by focusing on an audience mediated through digital video cameras.

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Why is it important?

The current trend of digital video surveillance in commercial dance studios is increasing the panopticism already present in dance education. If this trend continues, dance teachers will have to adapt to surveillance and its affects on relationships in the commercial studio setting. The shifting technological landscape both inside and outside of the studio will alter the strategies for dance teachers striving to educate dancers in the twenty-first century.