Performative Pedagogy and Choreography for the Classroom. A Cognitive Perspective

Adopting a cognitive perspective, this article presents how choreography is a fundamental part of teaching and why teaching can be considered a performance. It opens with a description of choreography as a cognitive process of planning and reflection about the pedagogical choices to make in the classroom, that can eventually materialise in the actual lesson. It describes the choreographic presence of the teacher, involuntary when teachers are not aware of their body language, and performative when they opt for teaching methodologies based on performance. Adopting performative choreographic techniques in the classroom sustains embodied learning at different levels, increasing multi-modal, affective and aesthetic engagement. The article provides specific examples of choreographic strategies for didactic purposes which explore cognitive and literacy processes, expression and management of emotions, and the approach to cultural and social issues.