This study investigates groove as a form of bodily and tacit knowing in jazz dance education. Despite groove being central to jazz dance practice, it remains under-theorized as teachable content in research on dance education. This study aims to illuminate and analyze how groove, as a bodily and often tacit form of knowing, is experienced and articulated by jazz dance teachers. Data were generated through a stimulated recall-inspired conversation with two jazz dance teachers, in which introspective video material served as basis for discussion. The study is grounded in a lifeworld phenomenological perspective, drawing on the lived body as a theoretical foundation. In the analysis four themes emerged: Groove as linguistic movement, Groove as experience-borne knowing, Groove as lived bodily experience and Groove in teaching. The findings suggest that groove is articulated through metaphors, physical demonstrations and shared references, and that bodily experience constitutes the foundation from which groove is both understood and communicated. It is concluded that groove can be rendered visible as teachable content when approached through embodied and experience-based strategies in dance education.

In 1969, Polish mime artist Stanislav Brosowski came to Sweden to teach at Teaterstudion in Stockholm. He had been working at Teatr Pantomimy, the Polish State Pantomime Theatre since 1956, first as a member of the ensemble and later as a soloist and had been teaching mime throughout this period. Stanislav, who had previously performed as a guest artist in Scandinavia, saw a possible future in Sweden, which showed an interest in mime. After a couple of years in his new country, he was asked to become the head teacher of the newly started mime program. He thus began what would become his life’s work for the next thirty years. In the early years, the mime program was part of Danshögskolan (The Dance Academy), but since 1993 it has been part of the Theatre Academy and is now called the mime program. It is the only state-funded higher education program in mime in the Scandinavian countries.

Thanks to Stanislav’s solid knowledge, determination and precision, mime training has given Sweden many performing artists who have enriched and developed mime in several directions.

This is an attempt to convey some of what Stanislav’s mime training entails.

It describes the ideas and methods that have formed the backbone of the program and developed over the years, and which are unique to this program.

The text was written by My Areskoug, who studied at The Bachelor’s program in Mime acting from 1980 to 1983 and was the Head of the Bachelor´s program and mime teacher from 2002 to 2006.