In her seminal text, "Feminist Theory: From the Margin to the Center," bell hooks calls attention to the "transformative impact the eradication of sexist oppression could have on all of our lives." She goes on to say that "challenging sexist oppression is a crucial step in the struggle to eliminate all forms of…

As an artist/academic, I discuss my pedagogical interventions in teaching Odissi through studio, theory, and praxis courses to populations across university students and professional artists. Through interdisciplinary research, I work at the confluence of historical and contemporary forces. Casteist, fundamentalist, racist, sexist, ablist, and…

This paper describes the "Virtual Borders" project developed in response to the dramatic changes in dance teaching and learning globally, arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from action research, "Virtual Borders" presents an innovative adoption of Peirce's sign theory to tertiary dance choreographic pedagogy, that…

One of the main conditions for the success of students of the specialty "choreography" in the modern labor market is professional mobility. This article is therefore aims to address the problem of forming professional mobility in higher educational institutions. The essence and significance of the formation of professional mobility of…

This article examines limitations of teaching contemporary dance through a Eurocentric lens and proposes an expansive approach to contemporary dance pedagogy that honors students' experiences in multiple dance forms and cultures. I question the Western pedagogy of contemporary dance and problematize the use of ballet pedagogy as a foundation of…

Using an autoethnographic approach, this article focuses on the experiences of two male dance educators/researchers living with/through terminal cancer. Autoethnographers analyze their 'unique life experiences in the context of the social and cultural institutions that have shaped the world the researcher inhabits.' Drawn from a larger research…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine if integrative dance classes have the potential to improve the postural stability in individuals with intellectual disability. Methods: A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest research design was used to assess changes in postural stability of 16 individuals with intellectual disability. Postural…

We contend that improvements are needed in current dance audition practices in higher education regarding inclusivity, equitability, and diversity. As a case study, we critically evaluated and modified audition practices at Ball State University with a specific goal to generate strategies and future considerations that provide a more inclusive,…

When thinking of wellness in dance, we often think about addressing mental or physical health-related challenges facing performers, although when looking at community dance, there are additional considerations to ensure the wellness of citizens and neighbors participating in dance programming. Gaps remain in dance education training to prepare…

It may appear commonsensical that undergraduate dance majors, sharing a programmatic experience within a bounded space and time, might feel connected to others involved in that experience. However, the multi-faceted and dynamic considerations of who and what comprise this learning environment are often not holistically explored. To better identify…

This study investigates the impact of partial versus full mirror use on body image in a beginner-level ballet class. At the end of a seven-week period, researchers distributed an online survey inclusive of qualitative questions to two groups of female collegiate students enrolled in separate beginner-level ballet courses taught by the same…

This article examines how an affirmative consent model can be applied in social dance contexts and addresses how social dance teachers can foster a culture of consent in their classes and communities. This model is based on legal and cultural activists' efforts to reduce incidents of sexual assault by shifting rape culture to consent culture. The…

Background: There is a global consensus that stimulating and fostering children's creativity in education is crucial. Addressing creativity has become an imperative in educational policies and in school curricula internationally. School-based physical education (PE), and specifically the teaching area of dance, has been identified as an important…

Postsecondary dance programs in the United States have been called upon to reconsider their curricula and pedagogical approaches in relation to racial equity. Historically students enter university with the belief that ballet is the foundation of dance, which is devaluing to dance forms outside ballet. As academia looks to build more inclusive…

In this study, we frame learning in the tertiary-level contemporary dance class as a process of developing culturally situated shared patterns of skilled action and attention through dynamic engagement with kinetic experience. Extending existing scholarship on dance learning, we adopt the framework of cultural affordances to understand the…