IMPLEMENTATION OF AESTHETIC ASSESSMENT IN DANCE EDUCATION AT SCHOOL

Abstract

Aesthetic assessment is an important component of dance education because dance learning involves not only technical
and kinesthetic abilities but also students’ capacity to express, interpret, appreciate, create, and communicate meaning
through the body. In the context of a changing world, dance education needs to move beyond conventional approaches
that primarily emphasize mastery and reproduction of movement. The concept of Embodied Futures: Transforming
Dance Education in a Changing World offers a broader perspective by positioning the body, movement, lived experience,
culture, and participation as important sources of knowledge in dance education. This study aims to examine the
implementation of aesthetic assessment in senior high school dance education through an embodied futures perspective,
with SMA Negeri 2 Semarang as the contextual focus. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach through
literature-based analysis of dance education, aesthetic assessment, performance assessment, embodied pedagogy, cultural
sustainability, inclusion, and contemporary approaches to dance education. The analysis indicates that aesthetic assessment
can be developed through several dimensions, including bodily and facial expression, movement quality, interpretation,
musicality, creativity, cultural understanding, collaboration, reflection, and communication. An embodied futures
perspective also encourages assessment practices that recognize students as active participants in constructing meaning
through movement rather than merely as performers who reproduce predetermined choreography. Therefore, aesthetic
assessment should be contextual, reflective, inclusive, and responsive to social and cultural changes. Such an approach can
support the development of students’ artistic abilities while preparing them to engage creatively with future challenges.