Abstract
Aesthetic experiences have proved as a valuable tool to enhance quality childhood life and learning; yet, how young children perceive such experiences is little known. This study investigated the aesthetic experiences and responses of Hong Kong young children through drama improvisation. Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of rhizome was used to form a theoretical framework with the aesthetic concept of Daoism and drama improvisation. This arts-based research studied the aesthetic experiences of six fluent Cantonese-speaking children aged 3–5 years, as they participated in five 2-hour drama improvisation workshops at a private dance studio. Data from video recordings, focused discussions, children's art journals, and reflective journals were mapped across the 22 co-created drama improvisation scenes. Young children's aesthetic experiences were illuminated through the exercise of decisiveness, introspectiveness, and empathy. This research reconceptualizes young children's aesthetic education through aesthetic encounters. Copyright © 2016 Taylor & Francis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-12 |
| Journal | Early Child Development and Care |
| Volume | 187 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | Mar 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Citation
Ho, K. L. C. (2017). In search of an aesthetic pathway: Young children's encounters with drama. Early Child Development and Care, 187(1), 1-12.Keywords
- a/r/tography
- Aesthetic education
- Deleuze
- Drama
- Early childhood