Dance pedagogy is a complex and dynamic field of competency that involves various skills and self-appearance. Therefore, dance instructors must widen the scope of their competency to strengthen and improve their level. This research aimed to identify the competency of dance instructors teaching the practical subject of Malay Court Dance based on factors including the components of pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and professionalism. The data was collected from interviews with the instructors and was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the instructors’ competency level development could be mapped into three dimensions, namely orientation, agent, and competency content. It was concluded that art schools in Malaysia need to develop dance instructors’ competency in terms of (1) 21st-century learning needs, (2) vertical and horizontal knowledge sharing, (3) workshop, study tour, and competition, and (4) standardization of technological development relevant for curriculum, across knowledge, practical, and feeling domains.

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Creative movement is one of the teaching and learning methods that helps to develop one's potential in communicating expressions creatively, applied through a series of movements. This type of learning relies on imaginations to explore movements, depending on the types of movements to be created. Exploration of creative movements by using variety of props lead to the freedom of ideas in creative imaginations. The ability to master the process of movements' creation by using props is essential in giving interpretations and forming the thoughts towards active and dynamic levels, to improve imaginative abilities. Therefore, this research was conducted to discover how the use of props helped in improving children's imaginative abilities through exploration of creative movements. Props were selected as tools and stimuli to enable the children to carry out imaginative explorations in movements, portraying their creative ideas. Important focus was given to kinesthetic stimulation in forming a series of movements to improve imaginative abilities, because children have their own ideas in creating desired movements. The important components such as usage of body, space, time, and energy were applied as the foundations in practicing creative movements. Qualitative method was used for this research, involving 16 subjects of 6-year-old children. Analyses by observations of participants and list of tasks to be accomplished were conducted to record the children's skills. Therefore, this research had given the chance for the children to develop their talents in imaginative abilities. Useful alternatives can also be gained, to give variety of teaching and learning methods based on children's exploration of imaginations, which can further lead to expressive communications through props and movements.

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