Assessment in Ballet Studies at the Undergraduate Level in the United Kingdom

MICHELLE GROVES Assessment in Ballet Studies at the Undergraduate Level in the United Kingdom This paper considers the extent to which assessment of ballet technique within higher education can be congruent with the expectations of professional practice while at the same time acknowledging self-actualisation and regulation through experiences of assessment. Assuming that the study of any discipline within higher education should prepare individuals for employment within a professional stream, this paper questions how expectations of ballet technique within higher education align with expectations of the dance profession. Further, the paper examines how objective measures that underline accountability and transparency in assessment practices align with aesthetic variables such as interpretation, presentation, and artistic sensibility.