This paper details the early stages of research which, through exploring new methodological and conceptual spaces, is being carried out with the aim of contributing to redressing the balance between creativity and performativity, in secondary level dance education in England. The Dance Partners for Creativity Research (DPC) Project is a co-participative study involving university-based researchers and school-based partner researchers physically and metaphorically stretching across boundaries between "university" and "school" spaces. We are investigating the kinds of creative partnerships manifested between dance-artists and teachers in co-developing the creativity of 11-14 year olds, and how these partnerships develop. The aim is to work towards transformation for dance-artist and dance-teacher partnership practice and invigorate young people's creativity in dance both in the settings within which the research takes place and through dissemination/provocation in new settings within and beyond UK dance education. In particular this paper focuses on the theoretical framework as developed around dance creativity and partnership in education prior to in-depth entry into the field, with some methodological detail. (Contains 5 figures, 1 table, and 6 notes.)