Talking about assessment: metaphors of grading in dance education

The way that dance educators think and speak about grading can impact our approaches to assessment and our overall curriculum and pedagogy. Four metaphors are commonly found in conversations around grading in dance: Grades Are Measurements, Grades Are Currency, Grades Are Nourishment, and Grades Are Moral Valuations. These metaphors are constructed through a combination of primary metaphors in our conceptual system and commonplace understandings, and they surface in many ways in our communication with students and colleagues. Such metaphors present both affordances and challenges to the dance pedagogy and curriculum we enact as dance teachers and learners. Understanding the metaphors we use offers an opportunity to move toward more transparent, purposeful, and ethical communication regarding dance assessment. Ultimately, we might shift our thinking, reflected in the alternative framing: grades are information.