1 Article 5 Beyond the Dance of Life

This article explores the meaning potential of the concept of transformation in arts education. The examples are taken from a working process with student drama teachers from two universities in Finland, producing a performance inspired by the painter Edvard Munch’s (1863–1944) paintings and diary fragments. The specific painting used was Dance of Life. Examples from the working process of two different groups are intended to illuminate a discussion about learning processes informed by the notion of transformation as a key concept in arts education. This is done explicitly in order to enhance reflections on pedagogical and aesthetic choices in a teacher-thinking perspective. The two groups represent different aesthetic responses to the challenges of the course task. The theme of the course in question was an exploration of the relationship between life and art. Résumé Cet article explore le potentiel de sens du concept de la transformation dans l’enseignement des lettres. Les exemples sont pris d’un processus de travail avec les élèves-professeurs de théâtre de deux universités en Finlande qui produisent un spectacle inspiré par les peintures et les extraits d