The thesis comparatively and pedagogically justifies the issue of choreographers’ professional training at UK universities. It analyzes the coverage of this particular issue in relevant scientific sources. Also, the thesis indicates that there are some differences in scientific views of Ukrainian and foreign scholars on the definition and justification of the specifics of art and choreographic education. It leads to different approaches to justifying structural, semantic and didactic principles of choreographers’ professional training in the UK and Ukraine. However, scholars agree that their training should take into account modern challenges of choreographic art, world trends in choreography, international educational and professional standards. Furthermore, it should aim to preserve the national historical, cultural and educational heritage and consider relevant world experience.
Today, the UK’s choreographic education is developing in the context of European cultural, artistic and educational values. Given the existing conditions of the European art-related educational space, strategic areas in its development depend on several external and internal factors.
It is important to note that both European and UK practices of choreographers’ professional training follow the principles of “author’s schools”, choreographic amateurism and freedom of choice. Besides, one can observe how international organizations influence the creation of the strategy for developing art and choreographic education. Indeed, they identify the promising vectors of its development in the world, strengthen the interaction and exchange of educational achievements, as well as the convergence of standards and degree programmes on choreography. Finally, they ensure continuing professional development of choreographers and promote choreographic art all over the world.
In the UK, professional training of choreographers adheres to philosophical, sociological, artistic and psycho-pedagogical principles aimed at meeting cultural, state-related and individual needs. The educational potential of UK universities lies in organizing choreography students’ training to achieve higher results at the national and international levels. A high level of didactic and technological support for choreographers’ professional training involves structuring the content of education under the principles of subject-specific orientation, integration, interdisciplinarity; a transparent system of identifying students’ creative skills; a wide range of courses (author’s specialized courses) and specializations; the focus on creative success, world career prospects, students’ leadership qualities; the use of innovative author’s methods, techniques, sets of exercises and ways of teaching choreography; the independence of students’ educational and professional trajectory by implementing independent creative projects and practical internships; the application of digital technologies in teaching choreography; the introduction of high-quality transparent mechanisms for identifying students’ creative skills and academic progress; reflective and practice-oriented training.
According to the selected criteria, a comparative-pedagogical analysis of choreographers’ professional training in the Ukrainian and UK experience proves the existence of similar and different trends. The similar trends include the following ones: legal framework of educational activities in the context of future choreographers’ professional training in higher education institutions; training standardization; humanities- and profession-oriented degree programmes; the presence of obligatory and optional components of degree programmes; module-based organization of professional training; the use of pedagogical innovations; the need for advanced training and self-study of choreographers. The different trends are as follows: the level of student-centred learning, students’ academic and professional mobility, leadership development, interdisciplinarity and integration of choreographic education, financial and informational support for the educational process, active participation of professional organizations in regulating the content and implementation of practical training; the observance and realization of the freedom of choice principle; the use of the digital learning and teaching concept, innovative teaching methods and technologies; the organization of self-study; the diversification of future choreographers’ practical training; different approaches to defining professional areas of choreographers.
The generalization of the revealed features of choreographers’ professional training in the Ukrainian and UK experience has made it possible to elaborate useful recommendations on the use of innovative ideas of the foreign experience in the system of art and choreographic education in Ukraine.
