The health and well-being of dancers is a critical but often neglected issue. Dancers face the pressure of extreme physical and emotional demands and lean body weight, which can result in musculoskeletal injuries, disordered eating behaviors, endangered health, and diminished artistic performance. Unfortunately, many do not receive adequate…

When children create dances using their ideas, they are empowered to explore their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Through dance, they bring their inner self to the surface where they can express their dreams, fears, needs, and joys. Dance educators need to support children's ideas and trust the children's creative process, especially when…

This article presents multiple perspectives of "petit battement sur le cou de pied". These perspectives include historical, biomechanical, and pedagogic points of view. The article offers useful information for ballet specialists and applied research studies aimed at ballet pedagogy. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)

Teaching dance can be a challenge because of the unique classroom-management situations that arise from the dynamic nature of the class content. Management is a delicate navigation of advance planning; rule setting; the establishment and implementation of daily protocols, routines, and interventions; and the teacher's own presentation. This…

This article will discuss the issues concerning the storage, retrieval and use of multimedia technology in dance, and how semantic web technologies can support those requirements. It will identify the key aims and outcomes of four international telematic dance projects, and review the use of reflective practice to engage students in their learning…

Dance, as a way to create meaning, was included in a week-long cancer education course for community health workers in Alaska. The eight course participants were Alaska Native women from throughout Alaska, including those of Yup'ik, Inupiaq, Aleut, Tlingit, and Athabascan heritage. As reported by participants on end-of-course written evaluations…

The article addresses the utilization of modern dance compositional approaches in the development of sacred dance works. A brief history of sacred dance in the Western Church is traced as a foundation for students' stereotypical approaches to dance and religion. Also examined is the 20th Century modern dance choreographers' practice of…

This article provides a brief description of a dance program at the Old Donation Center Dance Education Program in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The mission of DSI--Dance Scene Investigation--is to nurture the full development of each student's dance potential through intense involvement in every aspect of the art. The program provides differentiated…

Richmond Ballet's Mind in Motion program offers selected students an opportunity to take group dance lessons during 4th grade. Time taken away from academic instruction did not have a negative effect on standardized test scores and students reported feelings of greater success in school, more focus on school work, and greater ability to work with…

In this action research study, the author examines her teaching a unit of study focusing on the dance "Outside In," choreographed by Victoria Marks in 1994. Aided by an analysis of multiple forms of data collected from her high school dance students in response to the unit, the author identifies and then reflects upon two important themes, one…

A teacher's ability to present clear and appropriate movement tasks is strongly related to student learning. The purpose of this study was to describe the ability of preservice teachers to demonstrate task presentation skills following an introductory course in the basics of effective instruction. The task presentations of 15 preservice teachers…

4-H Bloco Drum and Dance is an afterschool program that teaches adolescents drumming, dancing, and theater arts in the rich traditions of Brazilian Carnaval. Teens learn to express themselves in a variety of modalities and perform at community events. The program was developed by a community coalition that included 4-H, other youth programs, and…

The article examines the experience of participating in Contact Improvisation by male prisoners. It specifically focuses on issues of touch for this participant group and how inmates can learn different ways of acting from acquiring Contact skills, contributing to their rehabilitation. The paper looks at the culture in prisons that propagates a…

These short essays address the political nature of teaching dance in higher education from various perspectives. Issues of identity, authority, power, expectation, and assumption are addressed within the context of the teacher-student paradigm. From personal perspectives, each author examines the ways in which who they are affects what and how…

Although some research has shown that dance enhances body image and self-esteem, other research shows that it sometimes has the opposite effect and causes dancers to develop a negative body image and even eating disorders. In dance, body image is not only about maintaining a certain weight; it can also refer to specific perceived body flaws.…