14 Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions Liudmyla Androshchuk1, Tetiana Medvid1, Tetiana Blahova2, Oleksandr Zhyrov2, Olha Bykova3 1Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine 2Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, Ukraine 3Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University, Ukraine Submitted: 2023-04-04. Revised: 2023-05-04. Accepted: 2023-06-24 Abstract The relevance of the study is determined by the active development of the pedagogical art branches, where the professional competence development of future choreographers and the de- velopment of their creative views becomes the main aspect of specialists training in higher educa- tion institution and involves the creation of the necessary conditions on the way to their creative growth and professionalism. In this regard, the purpose of the research work is to determine the features of the training of choreographers in higher education institution, their professional de- velopment in the context of educational activities, the professional competence development in the process of practical professional training, as well as to determine possible ways to overcome the professional crisis and destruction. The basis of the theoretical and methodological approach in this article is a qualitative combination of system analysis methods of choreographer training in higher education institutions with an analytical study of the professional competence develop- ment of future specialists in the art of dancing, where the use of modern approaches involves the use of innovative forms and means of learning to implement the educational concept regarding the professional development of choreographers. The article presents the results that reflect the problem of implementing the training of choreographers in higher education institution on the way to the professional qualities development of future specialists, their motivation for self-edu- cation, the development of creative abilities and creativity, as well as the necessary skills develop- ment for future productive professional activity. The obtained results of the research work are of practical value for educators of higher education institutions that train the specialists in the art of dancing, for the perspective of introducing and implementing the latest training approaches in the educational process, as well as for practical purposes for determining the development of professional qualities of future choreographers in higher education institutions. Keywords: the art of dancing; professional development; professional competence; personality professionalisation; self-education How to Cite: Androshchuk, L., Medvid, T., Blahova, T., Zhyrov, O., & Bykova, O. (2023). Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 23(1), 14-27 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023), 14-27 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v23i1.43559 scientific and European area involves en- suring the motivational competence deve- lopment in the context of personal and pro- fessional development of future specialists who meet modern educational demands INTRODUCTION Effective training of choreographers in higher education institution in modern conditions of rapid development of the Corresponding author: E-mail: androsh.myla@ukr.net p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Liudmyla Androshchuk et al., Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions 15 and are capable of productive activities in the art and cultural area and in various forms of the educational process. Compre- hensive training of future choreographers is based on the specific professional com- petencies development, pedagogical quali- ties, professional culture, self-organisation and critical thinking development, as well as an individual, creative work style and continuous professional growth in choreo- graphic activities (Scherak & Rieckmann, 2020). The main purpose of choreographers training in higher education institutions is based on the aimed development of a set of competencies of education seekers, which are intended to ensure the implementation of organisational, managerial and research work, as well as pedagogical and choreo- graphic activities. Educational activities of higher edu- cation institutions are regulated by Law of Ukraine No. 1556-VII “On Higher Edu- cation” (Law of Ukraine, 2014), which provides for the promotion of sustainab- le development of society in the context of training competitive specialists, and is based on the principles and basis of acces- sibility, independence, process continuity, state support, international integration and openness in development of the sco- pe and structure of professional and edu- cational training of future specialists. The organisation of the educational process provides the competencies development of education seekers, which is determined by successful socialisation and training, as well as the implementation of professional activities based on a combination of abi- lities, skills, knowledge, ways of thinking and personal values. The studies by Ro- manchuk (2019) indicates that professional competence is a combination of a person’s personal qualities and professional know- ledge mastered by them during training that synthesises the fundamental, psycho- logical, subject and pedagogical compe- tences of an individual on the way to their professional development. Kordunova and Dmytriuk (2020), to the set of abili- ties, knowledge and skills in the profes- sional competence development, add the ways of an individual’s activity and their professional psychological qualities. The authors note that professional competen- ce is based on components of a value and semantic, motivational, emotional, beha- vioural, as well as reflexive, functional and informative nature, and is the result of the choreographer’s readiness for professional activity and implies a conscious dedication of the individual to carry it out. Studying the issue of training of cho- reographers in modern institutions, Croy (2019) notes that for the development of choreographic potential the following are necessary: a combination of classes in imp- rovisation, composition and dance; the study of creative elements of movements in the context of style, music and modern cultural influences; autonomy in the abili- ty to create one’s own dance, to be both a producer and a choreographer at the same time; attend classes on business perspec- tives that help master financial manage- ment skills to gain an advantage in the labour market. Studying improvisation in training young choreographers, Dou et al. (2021) note the importance of the psycholo- gical factors development in the professio- nal competence development. The authors emphasis the complexity of mental activity during the creation of a choreographic per- formance, where psychological barriers on art and creativity slow down the processes of professional competence development, and improvisation is a method of getting rid of barriers and means of developing the creative abilities of an individual. The transformational educational process was caused by the COVID-19 pan- demic, which became the impact for chan- ging educational activity and its transition to distance learning, where alternative ap- proaches to the educational process and the introduction of innovative teaching methods into it made it possible to adapt to the new reality of educational activity. Thus, the study of Winship (2020) indica- tes that for choreographic education see- kers, classrooms and auditions in Great Britain have moved to online space and re- ceived a positive experience of evaluation Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 14-2716 and graduation of specialists, so the trai- ning of future choreographers in the art of dancing education institutions can be in a combination of studio and online learning. The professional development of the futu- re choreographer specialist masters special importance in the period of transforma- tional processes of the educational policy of Ukraine, informatisation and technolo- gyisation of educational processes, and it becomes a current problem to determine the features of the training of specialists in the art of dancing, the development of their professional qualities on the way to become a competitive and competent spe- cialist, who is focused on self-development in professional activity, self-improvement of mastered abilities and skills, as well as the necessary qualities development for the effective implementation of professio- nal functions in the chosen profession. The main purpose of the scientific study is to determine the professional qua- lities of a choreographer in the process of educational activity and ways of profes- sional competence development in higher education institutions. METHODS The basis of the methodological ap- proach to the study problem was a qualita- tive combination of a systematic analysis of the issue of psychological and pedagogical conditions of training of choreographers higher education institution, a generalisa- tion of the previous experience of studying the professional competence develop- ment of future specialists in the context of higher education with an analytical study of the personal and professional qualities development of education seekers in the aspect of the competence approach of stu- dying training problems of specialists in the art of dancing. The scientific study of the problem of choreographers’ professio- nal development involved the search for a generalised understanding of the deve- lopment conditions of future specialists’ personal capabilities based on content and procedural components, where the mobili- ty of knowledge, critical thinking and met- hods flexibility create a multi-level stable structure of the psychological values deve- lopment of future specialists in the art of dancing. The planning and implementa- tion of this study were carried out on the basis of studying the theoretical basis of training of choreographers in educational institutions that became the fundamental basis for further study of the professional development problem of choreographers in the context of obtaining higher educa- tion. The study of the theoretical compo- nents of the training choreographers prob- lem in higher education institutions made it possible to analyse the long-term experi- ence of studying this issue by researchers of Ukraine, the USA, China, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, which led to the identifica- tion of problematic aspects connected with the development of the personal qualities of education seekers, their professional de- velopment in the process of training and conditions for the professional competen- ces development during professional edu- cation in institutions. The stated purpose of scientific study determined three stages of the work. The first stage involved the study and analysis of theoretical aspects of training of choreo- graphers in higher education institutions, which became the foundation for the next stage implementation of research work. As a result of the analysis of the legislative framework of the education system of Uk- raine, psychological and pedagogical sour- ces on the study problem and the study of scientific literature on the education ma- nagement on the topic of a scientific work, the main questions and provisions of the problem of training of choreographers in Ukrainian educational institutions and educational institutions of other countries were substantiated, which are the request basis for the innovative methods and ap- proaches implementation in the training of specialists in the art of dancing for their effective use in the educational process in a higher education institution. The second stage of the research Liudmyla Androshchuk et al., Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions 17 work was aimed at the analytical study of approaches to the training of specialists in the art of dancing and the development of their professional competences in the pro- cess of educational activity. At this stage, an analytical comparison of the obtained results with the conclusions of other re- searchers engaged in practical study of the problem of training choreographers, their self-education, the creative abilities development and the professional skills development for carrying out professio- nal activities was also carried out, which contributed to the obtained results clarifi- cation in determining the features of cho- reographic education. At the final stage of the scientific stu- dy, the final conclusions of the theoretical and experimental stages of the study were made. The obtained results of the study of the training of choreographers in a higher education institution can be used as a ba- sis for further issue study of the professio- nal development of choreographers in the higher education system, the development of their professional competences, and possible ways of solving the issue of pro- fessional deformation and crisis situations in the practical training and activities of fu- ture choreographers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The conducted analysis of scientific studies on the training of choreographers in higher education institutions and the de- velopment of their professional competen- ces shows that this issue has been studied for a long time by Ukrainian researchers, as well as scientists from the USA, Germa- ny, China, Great Britain, Peru, Spain, Italy, and Taiwan. However, the development of effective training models at the current stage in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for Ukrainian society in the period of the current realities of mar- tial law, the topic of educational activities, in particular the training of specialists in the art of dancing, becomes a current is- sue among the educational process parti- cipants and provides the determination of the features of the professional competen- ce development of future choreographers for the effective implementation of innova- tive teaching approaches and the educatio- nal process technology in the educational process. An important aspect of scientific study is the determination of the psycho- logical features of the professional compe- tence development of specialists in the art of dancing in the process of training in a higher education institution, where prog- ressive changes in personality occur due to the external social influence of the environ- ment, one’s own activity and the dedica- tion for self-realisation, self-improvement and professional activity of an education seeker. The professional development in- volves the professional direction develop- ment, development of professional com- petencies and personality qualities that precede professionalisation and are cha- racterised by individual and psychological features of the future specialist (Martínez et al., 2022). The professional growth sta- ges can be conventionally divided into five stages that overlap, repeat and can occur simultaneously during studying in higher education institution. This division is pre- sented in a more informative way Table 1. Professional development, in par- ticular, the change of professional deve- lopment stages of education seekers is characterised by a change in social status, where the disturbance of professional acti- vity content is made, a new social role and professional behaviour are learned. These changes cause certain difficulties and can provoke internal and external (interper- sonal) crises and conflicts (Pytlyuk-Sme- rechynska, 2013). The areas of training of future choreographers include the deve- lopment of professional abilities, growth of professional direction, improvement of psychological processes, development of professional responsibility and indepen- dence, desire for self-realisation in practi- cal activities, as well as interest in exchan- ging of professional experience, growth of moral and spiritual maturity and readiness for practical professional activities (Stoly- Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 14-2718 archuk & Sergeenkova, 2019). The specificity of the art of dancing consists in the realisation of a choreo- graphic performance that conveys the ide- ological author’s idea that is manifested through body movements and acting. Ho- wever, the professional activity of a cho- reographer is not limited to the profession of a dancer, but also provides the opportu- nity to express oneself in collective work, perform of a dance, manage a children or professional team, as well as be a ballet master or director of ballet performances, which involves a combination of pedago- gical, choreographic and coaching func- tions in the choreographic activity (Dou et al., 2021). Thus, the professional training of future choreographers is a multifaceted educational process, where all components of educational activities should be imple- mented in accordance with modern condi- tions, which leads to an increase in the pro- fessional training quality, in particular, the education of competitive specialists in the context of professional training in a higher education institution. The professional competence deve- lopment of choreographers is an impor- tant condition of modernity within the social procurement of society regarding the professional training of specialists in the art of dancing, where the need for sig- nificant changes in the educational and training processes plays an important role for the expansion of interdisciplinary rela- tionships, as well as the use of didactic and educational and training methods for their deepening resources. Special attention in the training of choreographers in higher education institution is paid to the study of psychological disciplines, and psycholo- gical competence is considered as a com- ponent of professional awareness and pe- dagogical skill on the way to professional and personal development. However, the definition of the development indicators of these competencies currently remains open. The analysed the previous studies made it possible to form the components of important qualities of the future specia- list of the choreographic art. For clarity, these results are presented in Figure 1. Table 1. Professional development stages Stage Purpose Task A knowledge base creation Obtaining new information and knowledge and forming a conceptual understanding of it Development of professional intentions and self-determination, as well as awareness of the profession choice Observations (examples, models) Study of professional exam- ples to develop a study practi- cal understanding Development of professional direction and system of social and professional direction of knowledge, abilities, skills, gaining expe- rience in solving professional tasks Comprehen- sion of one’s own practical activity Educational practical activity analysis based on new ob- tained knowledge Adaptation to professional activity, social role mastering, gaining experience in pro- fessional activity, mastering the profession technologies Primary and secondary professionali- sation (change of practice) Implementation of new gained knowledge in individual and collective training program and instruction through devel- opment of curriculum, men- toring, practical studies Development of a professional mindset, transformation of social and professional qualities and abilities into professionalism Gaining new experience and sharing the gained ones Improvement of educational professional practical activity in the team Full realisation of professional skill, creative potential in the context of psychological new formations on the way of professional development and professionalism Source: prepared by the authors based on (Pytlyuk-Smerechynska, 2013). Liudmyla Androshchuk et al., Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions 19 The individualisation of the educa- tional path for the development of choreo- graphic skills of an education seeker under the art of dancing program requires allo- wance with the role and features of practi- cal training, where creative self-realisation for the future choreographer during prac- tical classes allows solidifying knowledge and projecting a model of future professio- nal activity. The main factor in the educa- tional activity of future choreographers is gaining of versatile experience and profes- sional competences, and the main condi- tion for this is an effective combination of theoretical training with practical choreo- graphic activity, which contributes to the development of a creative worldview and the expansion of the personal potential of education seekers (Androschuk, 2019). Practical activities help to deepen theore- tical knowledge, to develop the necessary skills for pedagogical, choreographic and performance work, as well as to develop the professional competences of future spe- cialists in the art of dancing. The purpose of practical training is mastering modern methods and forms of choreographic acti- vity and, based on them, the professional skills and abilities development, where the main tasks of practice are deepening kno- wledge, development, consolidation and adaptation to independent professional activity and the development of the need for continuity of training, self-education and self-improvement. The increase and complexity of the amount of information flows, as well as the transience of social and economic pro- cesses cause changes to the professional training requirements, which creates com- Figure 1. A model of professional and personal qualities of an education seeker in a higher education institution. Source: prepared by the authors based on (Scherak, & Rieckmann, 2020; Romanchuk, 2019; Kordunova, & Dmytriuk, 2020; Pytlyuk-Smerechynska, 2013; Stolyarchuk, & Sergeenkova, 2019). Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 14-2720 petition in the labour market and increa- ses the development level of professional competencies of future choreographers during the study in higher education insti- tutions. The need for the professional mo- bility development of education seekers, which involves flexibility, agility, adap- tability to changes and innovations, be- comes an important aspect in the modern environment of choreographers and re- quires the newest methods of creating and reproducing works of choreographic art in accordance with the digitalisation of the modern world and transformational edu- cational processes (Mead, 2020). In additi- on, the activity of a modern choreographic specialist is based on their multifunctiona- lity, which allows them to effectively act in various unusual situations and occupy teacher, dancer, manager, researcher posi- tion in the field of the art of dancing, and to be personally and professionally able to quickly change their own activity (Lusdoc & Namoco, 2019). The analysed scientific sources indicate that the priority in the training of choreographers in higher edu- cation institution belongs to the competen- ce approach implementation, in particular the development of special professional abilities, skills and knowledge, but the is- sue of consistency and purposefulness in the choreographer’s professional mobility development still remains open. Modern choreographic practice in- cludes a large variety of dance types, ways of structuring dance material and social in- teraction levels, which allows the choreo- grapher to realise themselves in a broad, dynamic and balanced approach to teach- ing choreography and develop their own professional abilities, become more effec- tive and stronger in the context of deve- loping their own awareness of the chosen choreographic direction parameters and master professional competence during studying in higher education institution (Butterworth, 2004). Thus, dance educati- on in China is the most common additio- nal education in the country, but the lar- gest part of the market is children’s dance training, which requires choreographers to know the psychological characteristics of the younger generation. In accordance with the internal study in the country con- ducted by Zhiyan Consulting in 2020, the dance education market has achieved eco- nomic growth, and the number of dance schools exceeds 38 thousand institutions. In Italy, in particular in Rome, higher choreographic education, in addition to the basic principal disciplines, offers stu- dents to master the teaching and study ac- tivities in the process of obtaining an aca- demic qualification, which are based on dance education academic programs. To strengthen and modernise the educational offer for education seekers, universities are expanding the academic programs of their courses by exchanging experiences with other countries, integrating the ex- perience and skills in the art of dancing from different cultures and adding edu- cational modules in video directing and music informatics to the educational pro- cess, which allows higher education insti- tutions to make a significant contribution to the modern view development of the choreographer’s profession, which is inc- reasingly subject to a multicultural directi- on, where the application of the advanced practices expands cooperation on the inter- national platform and creates the quality of choreographic education at the institutio- nal and European levels. In Germany, the program of higher choreographic educati- on has been developed in accordance with the growing conditions and requirements in the professional dance field and helps to train skills and implement the latest ap- proaches to education. However, the main direction of educational activity is based on the comparative methodology of mo- dern dance, group processes and somatic practices, where the theoretical direction is focused on science, physical studies and artistic documentation, and the purpose of the educational choreographic program is the training of teachers of the art of dan- cing who are capable of multifunctionali- ty, direction and possibility to be a choreo- graphic assistant. The professional activity of a cho- Liudmyla Androshchuk et al., Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions 21 reographer involves the development and production of ideas, honing the mo- vements fluency in accordance with the music, discussing economic and organisa- tional conditions, creating costumes, ap- proval on the musical program, also this profession also requires spending a lot of time on self-education and rehearsals, ma- king notes on movements, creating joint projects with others professional choreo- graphers of the acrobatic direction and the opportunity to engage in several dan- ce projects at once (Сhoreographer, 2022). Choreographic activity involves the mas- tering of special skills by the choreogra- pher, in particular, the need for their use is due to filming in films, music videos, stage musical plays, cooperation with dancing groups, which determines the choreogra- pher duties to coordinate dance programs and physical movements, to have know- ledge of dance styles and steps, to observe principles of constructing a choreographic performance, rhythm, balance and musica- lity. The development of leadership skills, creativity, discipline and persistency plays an important role in the professional cho- reographer activity, and ensuring a clear organisational process helps to focus on the dance projects development (Winder- mere, 2021). Higher education institutions of Uk- raine are under the Law of Ukraine No. 1556-VII “On Higher Education”which provides citizens with access to higher education, which ensures the develop- ment of aggregate systematised knowled- ge, abilities and practical skills, as well as promotes the development of ways of thinking, professional qualities, world- view and social positions, moral and et- hical values, gaining of professional com- petences in accordance with the chosen qualification at all levels of higher edu- cation. In accordance with the Standard of higher education of Ukraine. the pur- pose of the educational process based on the Bachelor of Choreography is to train specialists in the field of performing arts, choreography, and teaching activities, as well as conducting methodical work on elementary, specialised, professional ad- vanced art education. The subject area of training of choreographers involves the study of the theoretical program content, in particular, familiarisation with the ba- sic concepts, principles, choreographic art concepts, and their connection with social and cultural phenomena, the history of choreography and specialised activities. The teaching technology is aimed at the study of cultural disciplines and art study, which requires the use of appropriate met- hods in the educational process designed to teach education seekers to reproduce a choreographic text, develop the ability to analyse different situations and find al- ternative solutions, develop professional knowledge, abilities and skills, model pro- fessional reality, reproduce practical ac- tions of a choreographer, to design artistic and creative products (from conception to play). To achieve the purposes of choreo- graphic education, institutions should be equipped in accordance with the appro- ved Standard, in particular with computer hardware and software, multimedia tools, information and communication technolo- gies, equipment for study and storage of artistic works. The Standard also provides for the development of integral, general and professional competencies at the end of the training course. The conducted scientific study made it possible to distinguish a number of pro- fessional competencies that a future cho- reographer should master during their studies at a higher education institution, in particular (Scherak & Rieckmann, 2020; Romanchuk, 2019; Kordunova & Dmyt- riuk, 2020; Pytlyuk-Smerechynska, 2013): To analyse, assess, interpret and identify patterns of social and cultural historical as- pects of the art of dancing (styles, genres), to be able to argue one’s own positions and beliefs; To produce creative ideas, imple- ment them, cooperate in a team and effecti- vely solve tasks connected with discussed projects; To have choreographic technolo- gy in accordance with the requirements of professional training at the levels of per- forming, teaching, choreographic activity Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 14-2722 and organisational activities; To use one’s own pedagogical and artistic potential for realisation in professional activity; To carry out study work, project educational and methodological support and develop innovative and educational technologies in the context of artistic activity; To use in- terdisciplinary connections in accordance with the elementary, specialised and pro- fessional educational process in relation to professional knowledge and creative approach for solving professional situa- tions; To understand new dance practices concepts, accumulate, process, analyse and combine new information on the way to creating a dance composition; To app- ly alternative technologies (filming, direc- ting, editing, etc.); To ensure a high level of mastery of choreographic technique, self- development and self-improvement in ac- cordance with professional activity; To ob- serve tolerance in choreographic work and be able to take into account organisational, economic and legal aspects of professional activity. The world practice of professional training of choreographers in higher edu- cation institutions shows that in the pro- cess of learning, a future specialist in the art of dancing should master certain per- sonal qualities and professional compe- tence in accordance with different types of professional activity, in particular pe- dagogical, organisational, choreographic and creative activities. Higher education institutions create conditions and oppor- tunities for education seekers to master significant professional competencies that precede future successful professional ac- tivity. The obtained results of the study indicate that innovative approaches in the field of culture and art are at the stage of developing effective models and techno- logies of high-quality training of choreo- graphers in a higher education institution, where ideas of exchange of social and cul- tural experience become relevant on the way to the professional development of a choreographer that is able of multifunctio- nal activity, critical thinking, self-educati- on and self-improvement. Professional training of a choreo- grapher in a higher education institution involves practical and theoretical studies, the search for creative ideas, as well as the development of analytical and critical thinking skills. The requirements for the development of professional competence and professional qualities of future choreo- graphers have grown significantly over the past decades, which led to the search for new innovative ideas and approaches in teaching of special disciplines and a chan- ge in the model of conventional education. Law of Ukraine No. 1556-VII “On Higher Education” at the educational and creative level, it is provided to master the metho- dology of pedagogical and artistic activity, to master practical skills in the production and implementation of new creative ideas, as well as to solve theoretical and practical issues in a creative artistic environment, where scientific, artistic and innovative work is carried out with the aim of integ- rating educational activities, deepening professional competences and innovative activities in art. The professional develop- ment of the future choreographer is inse- parably conected with the professional definition of the individual and involves a step-by-step individual and personal de- velopment. The first stage is characterised by the beginning of professional training, the second stage is the active development of methods of mastering methodological skills and abilities, and the third stage is designed to professionally orient the edu- cation seeker in practical activities, which allows using the gained knowledge and improve their own professionalism, which is caused by changes in the professional training process. The main component of professionalism is professional competen- ce, which is based on personal qualities and practical skills that precede the future specialist readiness for professional activi- ty (Pytlyuk-Smerechynska, 2013). Guerreroa and De los Rіos (2012) divides competencies into three main groups, in particular, competencies as a list of tasks, competencies as a set of featu- res and competencies as a holistic or integ- Liudmyla Androshchuk et al., Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions 23 rated relationship. The author states that the competence model is a basic aspect of general psychology and includes skills, motivations, abilities, self-esteem and kno- wledge, and is also subject to assessment and measurement in accordance with the gained knowledge during education and daily practice. Thus, the author emphasi- ses that the defining characteristics of com- petencies can be generalised and conside- red in terms of the basic characteristics of a certain activity performance. The author refers to the components of professional competence as a set of personal qualities, in particular, abilities, motives, inclina- tions, values, etc., which are synthesised with gained knowledge, skills, certain of behaviour model, gained experience and practical activities. The study of Kordunova and Dmyt- riuk (2020) efines professional competence as readiness for purposeful activity in ac- cordance with the requirements, the abili- ty to solve various issues in an organised and independent way, to assess one’s own professional activity, where during pro- fessional training, the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for effective future professional activity are developed. The basis of personal and professional growth and success, the authors indicate the pro- fessional qualities of education seeker, as well as the development of various types of combinations of knowledge, experience and skills within the framework of profes- sional competence. The main component of the competency approach, as noted by Clements and Nordin-Bates (2022), are the key competencies, which are characteri- sed as constant components of personality qualities that help a specialist to success- fully implement their own activities and master intercultural and interdisciplinary skills and knowledge, properties necessary for adaptive and effective activity. The aut- hor notes that in the pedagogical aspect, the key competencies reflect the teacher’s culture and are divided into professional and pedagogical, informational, creative, communicative, and social and motivatio- nal. Modern higher choreographic edu- cation is designed to form a theoretical base of knowledge, practical skills and abilities, where the training of a future choreographer requires an innovative ap- proach to the professional development of a specialist. The specificity of teaching the art of dancing in higher education institution is reflected in the forms of the educational process organisation, in par- ticular, these are lectures, practical and individual classes, where, in accordance with the Standard of higher education of Ukraine classroom lessons are reduced and time for independent study of discip- line materials is increased. The shortage of classroom lessons leads to an increase in the rate of mastery of educational material, however, independent study can cause difficulties for education seekers and lead to a professional development crisis. Expe- riencing the crisis causes a change in the psychological structure and restructuring of the social and professional direction of an education seeker. Thus, Kokun (2012) otes the crises of qualification formation as a group of psychological crises that can occur at all stages of mastering a professio- nal activity and reflect specific patterns in personal and professional development. The author distinguishes overtime activity in professional activities, social and eco- nomic living conditions, psychophysio- logical and age-related changes, stressful situations in the context of obtaining a new position, participation in evaluations, im- mersion in professional activities, restruc- turing of ways of implementing professio- nal activities and changes in personal life, as the main crises factors of professional development. Thus, Pytlyuk-Smerechynska (2013) onsiders the professionalization process as a crisis. The stage of professional trai- ning can serve as a certain lever for disap- pointment from the received profession, in particular, there can be dissatisfaction both with individual professional subjects and doubts about the chosen profession, that is, a certain revision and correction of the profession choice takes place, which Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 14-2724 allows distinguishing this crisis as a crisis of professional personality development. In addition, the completion of professional education involves further professional ac- tivity characterised by an adaptation sta- ge. At this stage, there is a radical change in the professional situation, where the actual performance of professional fun- ctions during the first weeks or months may cause difficulties, however, the initial perception of the profession and the real understanding of its professional aspects after the completion of educational activi- ties in a higher education institution may cause psychological differences and create conditions for a professional crisis (Kor- dunova & Dmytriuk, 2020). Options for the crisis resolution include constructive problem solving (activation of professio- nal motivation, adaptation to conditions, gaining experience) and destructive prob- lem solving (resigning, change of professi- on, decrease in the quality of professional functions performance). Crisis periods, as noted by Rabow et al. (2013), can contribute to the develop- ment of a person or lead to the processes of their personal degradation. The author states that the destructive ways of the cri- sis recovery are inherent in the search for opportunities for self-realisation outside of professional activity, as well as the public demonstration of undesirable professional qualities, while in the constructive way of the crisis recovery these qualities are over- come personally. Stress and mental tension act as certain incentives for the professio- nal development of an education seeker, where crisis recovery phenomena require the involvement of professional action and a competent attitude towards oneself. Trai- ning classes in the direction of personal and professional growth, seminars with the possibility of developing alternative approaches to professional development, as well as drawing up a professional deve- lopment path are effective means of crises recovery. The analysed previous scientific stu- dies indicate that in the process of profes- sional training, future choreographers are faced with the need to develop the skills of self-education, self-regulation and the development of critical thinking, which allows objectively assess one’s own profes- sional educational activity and understand the basics and risks of the future professi- on. However, in the context of many yea- rs of professional choreographic activity, these aspects can lead to the occurance of professional fatigue, the emergence of psychological barriers, a decrease in work capacity and a partial loss of certain pro- fessional skills and abilities. The process of professionalisation at certain moments of mastering a professional activity can cause professional destruction, which is charac- terised by a change in the formed structure in the professional and personal areas and can affect the performance of the choreo- grapher and their communicative proces- ses (Kokun, 2012). The previous studies analyses [10; 24-26] (Pytlyuk-Smerechyns- ka, 2013; Kokun, 2012; Rabow et al., 2013) identified possible ways to overcome pro- fessional destruction in the professional activity of a choreographer, in particular: increase in psychological and social com- petence; diagnosis of professional defor- mation and development of individual strategies to overcome it; prevention of professional disadaptation; development of alternative programs for professional and personal potential implementation; at- tending trainings on professional growth and personal development; the methods of self-regulation; development of the ability to the professional deformations self-cor- rection; increase in qualification category or position. Kokun (2012) also includes the phenomenon of professional burnout, which is characterised by a negative con- sequence of interpersonal communications in choreographic activity and manifests itself in mental tension (professional dif- ficulties, conflicts) and feeling of anxiety, frustration, and discomfort. The current conditions of active social processes in Ukraine require the reorganisation of the educational system, where the need for in- novative changes is the modernisation of Liudmyla Androshchuk et al., Training of Choreographers in Higher Education Institutions 25 choreographic education (Medvid, 2018; Medvid & Tereshenko, 2021). The study of the international experience of providing choreographic educational services indi- cates that the countries are intensifying cooperation with international organisa- tions and communities that contribute to the intercultural development of the art of dancing through the exchange of cho- reographic experience, educational and cultural programs are being developed in accordance with the modern requirements of the choreographer’s professional activi- ty, the material and technical base is being improved in view of the spread of distan- ce learning, as well as the decrease in the number of classroom lessons and the inc- rease in the choreographer’s mobility and multifunctionality importance. The con- ducted scientific analysis of the problem of training of choreographers in higher education institutions shows that the need to improve choreographic education at the national, institutional and international levels, which will allow modernising pro- fessional activity in accordance with the demands of modern society and the labour market, is a promising direction of using world experience for educational institu- tions of Ukraine. So, it becomes obvious that the pro- fessional training of future choreographers needs to ensure the development of integ- ral, general and professional competencies of education seekers, which is based on the mastery of artistic, technical, physical skills and special knowledge. The deve- lopment of experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as developed abilities during the professional development of a choreographer, actualise the understan- ding of important priorities of practical training and lead to the integration and systematic improvement of requirements for the training of choreographic special- ties, where priority is given to the develop- ment of value and semantic aspects, self- determination and personal development on the way to the future choreographic activity implementation. CONCLUSIONS The conducted scientific study on the given problem shows that the search for innovative approaches to improve the professional training of choreographers in a higher education institution is based on the competence approach of the pro- fessional training of the future specialist. The practical activity of education seekers is a necessary aspect on the way to deepe- ning theoretical knowledge, development of pedagogical skills and choreographic activities, as well as the formation and de- velopment of professional competencies of the future choreographer. The professio- nal activity of a modern choreographer is based on their polyfunctionality, where for a specialist in the artistic area, the develop- ment of professional competences plays an important role. The professional deve- lopment of the future choreographer, the development of their professional directi- on, socially significant qualities and their integration into practical activity involves the search for optimal ways to form high- quality, artistic and creative activity in ac- cordance with the individual and psycho- logical characteristics of education seeker. Practical training of future specialists in the art of dancing in higher education ins- titution creates opportunities for maste- ring significant professional competences, which are necessary for the successful pro- fessional realisation of a choreographer. The professional duties of a choreo- grapher include the implementation of an artistic concept, the use of various expres- sion means, the improvement of dance elements and steps in accordance with the dance style. The professional competence of the future choreographer should be for- med on the basis of knowledge, skills, and cognitive competence, which involves the actualisation of the value connection with choreographic and pedagogical activity in educational institutions, as well as the de- velopment of motivational aspects, com- municative activity and creative potential in the professional and social and cultural area. Having analysed modern scientific Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 14-2726 studies on the training of choreographers in higher education institution, it can be distinguished that the use of a competen- ce approach in educational activities is an important and necessary step towards updating the education content, which involves the professional development of future choreographers who will meet the educational demands of the present time. Prospective areas of further studies of the problem of training of choreographers in higher education institution are the analy- sis of the complex of educational techno- logies, content, forms and methods of pro- fessional training specialists of the art of dancing in the higher education system. 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