Science in the rhythm of dance: the university hosted the first All-Ukrainian scientific conference on choreography

Science in the rhythm of dance — this was the spirit of the First All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference, “Dialogue of Contemporary Discourses in Choreographic Education and Culture,” held on June 4, 2026, at the Department of Choreography and Fitness of the Faculty of Physical Culture, Sports and Human Health of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University. The event was conducted online via the Zoom platform and brought together leading scholars, educators, choreography practitioners, and higher education students from different regions of Ukraine to discuss current challenges, trends, and prospects for the development of contemporary choreographic education and culture. The conference was moderated by Yuliia Taranenko, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor.

The conference was opened with welcoming remarks from Hanna Aleksandrova, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Candidate of Philological Sciences and Associate Professor of the Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Literature and Comparative Literary Studies; Serhii Kushniriuk, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Culture, Sports and Human Health, Candidate of Sciences in Physical Education and Sports, Professor; and Yuliia Taranenko, Head of the Department of Choreography and Fitness, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor.

The scientific and practical conference covered six thematic areas:

• Current Issues and Discourses in Choreography Teaching Methodology;
• National and Patriotic Values in Arts Education: Theory and Practice;
• Transparency and Publicity in Choreographic Education: Challenges and Mechanisms of Implementation;
• Creativity as a Resource for Personal Recovery: Theoretical and Practical Aspects in Times of Transformation;
• Ethics of Professional Communication in the Choreographic Environment: Problems and Prospects;
• Professions in the Field of Choreographic Art: Advancing the Development of Professional Standards.

The plenary session featured lively presentations and discussions addressing pressing issues, challenges, and future directions of higher choreographic education. Participants examined various aspects of personal development through educational and choreographic practice. Among the keynote speakers, Associate Professor Oleksandr Plakhotniuk presented a report entitled “Public Educational Projects and Open Lectures as a Mechanism for Popularizing Academic Knowledge of Ukrainian Choreographic Culture.” Professor Liudmyla Mova addressed “The Art of Dance as a Space for the Formation of Personal Identity.” Associate Professor Liliia Kozynko focused on the development of professional standards for teachers of choreography-related disciplines, highlighting key challenges, principles, and prospects. Associate Professor Liudmyla Androshchuk presented “Integration of Archetypal Personality Images in Dance Theatre.” Associate Professor Oleh Kuzyk explored “The Syncretism of Choreographic Art: From Folklore to Performance.” Viktor Ruban, PhD in Cultural Studies, emphasized ethical aspects of choreographic activity within educational and professional contexts and discussed contemporary challenges in this area. Other conference participants addressed issues related to the modernization of choreographic education, preservation of national artistic traditions, interdisciplinary interaction, and the development of contemporary choreographic art amid ongoing societal transformations.

Yuliia Taranenko, Head of the Department of Choreography and Fitness, presented the specific features of professional choreography training at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University and shared practical experience in organizing dance intensives as an effective response to the challenges faced by a temporarily relocated higher education institution.

The sectional sessions for academic staff and students were no less engaging than the plenary meeting. Young researchers presented the results of their studies on current issues in choreographic education and art, while practitioners shared professional experience, innovative teaching methods, and practical achievements in the field of choreographic education and culture.

This conference marked the first experience of the Department of Choreography and Fitness of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University in organizing an All-Ukrainian scientific and practical conference of this format. The event demonstrated the strong interest of both the academic and professional communities in contemporary issues concerning the development of choreographic education and culture. It became an important platform for scholarly dialogue, exchange of experience, presentation of research findings, and the establishment of new professional partnerships.

The Organizing Committee expresses its sincere gratitude to all participants, speakers, and partners for their active involvement, meaningful discussions, and support of this initiative. Special thanks are extended to the conference co-organizers — representatives of higher education institutions who contributed to the successful implementation of the event: Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport, Kyiv Municipal Serge Lifar Academy of Dance College of Choreographic Art, V. G. Korolenko Poltava National Pedagogical University, Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, Uman National University, and Ivan Franko Drohobych State Pedagogical University.

We hope that this newly established academic tradition will continue and contribute to the further development of choreographic education and culture in Ukraine.