Dance Techniques 2010

Barbara Passow — Jooss–Leeder Technique
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About our research working methods:
In order to get an impression of Barbara Passow’s teaching approach to
the Jooss–Leeder Technique, during the first several days we focused our
investigations on making phenomenological notes about the technique and
determining the distinguishing characteristics of Passow’s teaching methods.
After the first week of classes, we questioned students about their impressions
of the physical–kinesthetic and kinetic–awareness approaches as we wanted
to include their reactions in our analysis. We used a student questionnaire
to minimize anticipated language issues, which also encouraged students to
reflect independently. 3
During our stay in London we had many opportunities to speak with
Passow and Hoffmann about their teaching experiences at LABAN, and
about the characteristics of the Jooss–Leeder Technique. The complex weave
of autobiographical influences and individual aesthetic preferences became
apparent in our discussions. Core elements in teaching content were influenced
and determined by Passow’s personal creative processing and handling
of the movement material, by the Jooss–Leeder Technique’s principles, as
well as by her assessment of the student group and institution. Considering
the above variables, Passow’s methods and teaching style cannot be seen as a
simple reproduction of the Jooss–Leeder Technique that she learned as a student
at the Folkwang University of the Arts Essen and in collaborations with
Michael Diekamp in particular. We presume that her teaching is ultimately
defined by her own dance experiences as well as by experiences she had in artistic,
performing, and teaching contexts. Thus the knowledge she gained and
processed as dance student, dancer, and teacher is integrated into her entire
‘body (of) knowledge’ and can be observed in her teaching style.
Modern dance classes in the Jooss–Leeder tradition taught students (taking
part in the three–week training program taught by Passow) how to achieve
good centering and differentiation in movement quality, as well as providing
them with a rhythmic–musical and motor–qualitative ‘feeling for form’. This
implicitly provided a comprehensive and balanced training.
3 The questionnaire was composed of thirteen
questions in English. The students come
from seven countries; answers were written
in English.