In recent years, higher education institutions across the UK have increasingly adopted the language of decolonisation and inclusion. Prospectuses feature diverse student cohorts, and guest workshops periodically offer short introductions to dances from the African diaspora, Latin America, and South Asia. Yet, a glance at the daily schedule of a typical contemporary dance degree reveals a persistent reality: ballet and Western contemporary technique sit firmly at the core as the foundation of "real" technique, while Global Majority practices are treated as peripheral enrichment or cultural flavour.
This division is far more than a matter of aesthetic preference; it is deeply political and structural. Real decolonisation in conservatoire-style dance training requires moving beyond symbolic, representational inclusion toward a fundamental shift in epistemology, redefining how we conceptualise bodily intelligence, technique, and artistic legitimacy in the studio.
The Eurocentric Default in Vocational Dance
Dance education in the UK has historically developed around Eurocentric assumptions that privilege codified Western traditions as universal foundations for all bodies. Within this hierarchy, Western contemporary and ballet are positioned as neutral standards of excellence, while non-Western dance traditions, despite their complex histories, intricate polyrhythms, and demanding physicalities, are frequently framed as "recreational," "cultural," or secondary.
As dance scholar Adejumo Adewole notes, the core problem lies in how different dances are conceptualised as legitimate forms of choreography and technical mastery. When students are taught to perceive physical capability exclusively through a Western lens, non-Western practices are viewed merely as extra activities rather than foundational systems of knowledge.
Without direct intervention, institutional structures continue to reinforce this hierarchy through:
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Timetabling: Prioritising daily ballet and Western technique classes while placing non-Western forms in sporadic, short-term modules.
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Assessment Frameworks: Evaluating dancers using criteria rooted in Western aesthetics—such as verticality, linear precision, and individual performance—which penalise groundedness, pelvic articulation, and collective effort.
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Faculty Representation: Maintaining a historical lack of permanent Global Majority educators holding decision-making authority over core curricula.
Moving Beyond Tokenistic Inclusion
"Diversifying" a curriculum simply by inviting guest facilitators without changing the underlying institutional framework is a form of tokenism. It places an unfair burden on individual practitioners, who are brought into Eurocentric environments without the necessary structural support, institutional alignment, or assessment parity.
True decolonisation requires institutional commitment across three key areas:
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Validating Global South Epistemologies: Non-Western dance forms carry rich philosophical, historical, and sociopolitical frameworks. When teaching Cuban contemporary dance, Afro-diasporic forms, or traditional styles, movement cannot be separated from its cultural context. Epistemic equality means treating these practices not as steps to be borrowed, but as rigorous systems of knowledge that challenge Western notions of movement.
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Re-evaluating Validation and Policy: Change within higher education is often slowed down by policy updates, module validation, accreditation, and degree approvals. However, as long as validation criteria remain tied to classical Eurocentric frameworks, structural progress will stall. Institutions must adapt recruitment processes, broaden assessment panels, and value lived cultural experience alongside traditional academic qualifications.
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Shifting Educator Paradigms: Decolonising studio practice is not the sole responsibility of Global Majority educators. White tutors and administrators must also engage in critical self-reflection, confront their own cultural biases, and challenge the assumption that Western techniques represent an objective standard of excellence.
Re-centering the Studio
Decolonising dance pedagogy is not about eliminating Western contemporary or ballet techniques; it is about dismantling their monopoly as the sole standard of rigour and quality.
When conservatoires commit to genuine intercultural dialogue, they create environments where multiple movement systems coexist with equal authority, rigour, and respect. By centreing Global South pedagogies as core components of higher education dance training, institutions can equip future artists with a holistic, culturally responsive, and truly global movement literacy.
Carlos J. Martínez
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