This study reports the findings of a qualitative study of competitive West Coast Swing dancers that incorporated both ethnographic and phenomenological techniques. A modern variation of the original Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing is typically learned in dance studios and non-profit clubs. The West Coast Swing community can be considered a community…

In the midst of the violence of the 21st century, many children fear that they or someone they know will lose a relative or friend through terrorism. Professionals in dance movement therapy, dance education, and physical education can help children to overcome their fears in order to feel safe and to build self-esteem. This article examines how…

ArtsBridge is an ideal venue for sharing cultural information at the same time that K-12 students are exposed to exciting creative experiments in the arts. UCSC professor Kathy Foley talks about the use of puppets and dance to promote cultural learning and discusses how UCSC Artsbridge America Scholar Ben Arcangel used his teaching assignment to…

Dance is a common metaphor in both the change and leadership literature. However, can dance, a movement art, actually be used to learn about leadership? The answer is yes and this exercise shows you how. Dance as an instructional strategy allows the instructor to tap the cognitive, affective, and conative components of the brain.

Dance movement instruction was shown to enhance spatial awareness in 16 visually impaired elementary students. Initiating such instruction early in life might be beneficial in treating movement inhibitions. Large-muscle and cardiovascular activities in physical education programs are complemented by the positioning, sequencing, movement, and…

Past and present approaches to dance education are explored in this article. Major concerns for consideration in the future of dance education include goals and directions, curriculum and standards, scholarly research and publication, and the role of the professional organization. (DF)

The Ohio State University artist-in-the-schools program was developed to introduce ideas about dance as an art form. Dance experiences allow the child to view the aesthetic dimension of movement and heighten kinesthetic awareness and bodily intelligence. (DF)

Reviews the contributions of Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) to dance education by placing MI theory in the context of historical perspectives on intelligences and examining the assumptions behind traditional models of intelligence and some of the more recent pluralistic approaches. The paper reviews the principal tenets of MI…

Identifies issues connected with effective encouragement of dance in elementary education. (RJC)

This article recommends to dance faculty several steps to take in order to obtain equal status for dance with other physical education departments at colleges and universities. (IAH)

The fourth of five articles examining professionalization of associations within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) details the professionalization process, professionalization within AAHERPD, steps for defining professional standards, and a strategic plan for the collective associations. (SM)

Describes the Detroit Dance Collective, a group of professional dancers who work in K-12 schools to infuse schoolwork with movement, finding areas where curricula link. The group attempts to motivate all types of learners through movement. Michigan officials contend that using dance in the classroom is a critical teaching strategy that reaches…

In this article, the author features Todd Eric Allen, an acclaimed ballet dancer, who returns home to Florida's so-called Redneck Riviera and opens a magnet school for dance. When asked the inevitable question of what an internationally known ballet dancer is doing teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in Fort Walton Beach, he simply replies in a way…

Given the present economic and political climate, how can dance programs in colleges and universities continue to thrive? Recently there has been a national movement to return to the roots of the original altruistic mission of the public university and the land grant legacy. In other words, a movement toward, engagement. Engagement involves a…

This article offers a specific example of the benefits that might result from integrating scientific principles into the daily practice of dance training. Using the mastery of turnout as our focus, we 1. describe the anatomy of turnout in terms familiar to the dance artist, 2. explore conditioning and imagery work designed to improve the use of…