Performative Learning: Other- and self-corrections in the dance case.

The paper discusses the principal features of dance didactics, with a particular focus on corrections, and takes into consideration both lessons and rehearsals (differences in the nature of activity), as well as both aspiring and professional dancers (differences in the advancing level). Data comes from my ethnometodologically oriented ethnography on the world of dance and include interviews as well as fieldnotes and video-recordings of the everyday activities of two Italian companies and related schools, where I also enrolled for the first time in dance courses.
After a general description of both basic (dance topoi) and complex (choreographic sequences) kin(aesth)etic configurations' learning process, which shows the relevance of repeated practice and embodiment, as well as comparison and visualization, the paper focuses on corrections, analysing their content (the "what", the "when" and/or the "how" to perform), modality (verbal and/or gestural and/or corporeal), sequential and temporal positioning (during, after or interrupting performance), acting subject (other or self-correction) and designated recipient(s) (individual or collective correction). I also consider a specific correction format, that I call dichotomic differential demonstration, which seems to be a typical feature of performative learning, and I compare dance case with other artistic performance ones, such as music rehearsals. Finally, the paper addresses the issue of the (desired) outcome(s) of correctionsequences, and proposes a first tentative frame of comparison between (mainly) performative and (mainly) theoretical learning.