The History of the State Regulation of Dance Teacher Training in Hungary

Abstract

In regard to dance teacher training, the process of state regulation began with a recognition of dance education as an activity worthy of regulation, followed by efforts to gradually bring it under state control. Until the middle of the 20th century, this mainly resulted in the regulation of dance school activities by professional interest protection organizations and regulations related to exit exams. These measures began in 1922 when for the first time the minister of interior affairs established a dance master qualification examination board for the state recognition of certificates issued by professional associations. After 1945, the
process diversified in terms of genres (e.g., ballet, the art of movement, folk dance, and ballroom dance) and, in addition to the regulation of training, took shape in the creation of state institutions. In 1974, dance teacher training was raised to the college level, and finally after 2006, as a result of the Bologna process, the master’s degree represented the highest attainment in the training of dance teachers.