Inclusivity is first and foremost the action of bringing all people together in one space, no matter the ability level, race, background, and so on. Our studio is providing just that in an environment designed for people of all ability levels. This article includes how our organization is implementing specific supports for everyone as well as…

Inspired by Harney and Moten's (2013) description of study in the undercommons, I bring the perspective of a dance teacher to a conversation about educational equity. Dance is an important method of study and a form of knowledge. It shows up in the undercommons (Harney & Moten, 2013) and in students' at-home educations (Shujaa, 1993).…

The National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) has existed since 2005, and more than 35,000 students have been inducted to celebrate their artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in dance. A recent addition to NHSDA programming, specifically geared toward highlighting the contributions of our collegiate chapter members, is a new…

High school dance students are at an age where they can process challenging technical concepts with an anatomical lens. One of these concepts is turnout, an essential joint action used in a variety of dance contexts and disciplines. As this joint action is not always well explained or well understood, many students try it without adequate guidance…

Picture book stories are an important tool for teaching creative dance to children. This article presents a dance activity using a picture book story that educators can use to promote movement exploration and creativity.

Students are involved in numerous types of activities but not everyone is excited when it comes to dance. When introducing a dance unit in physical education, meeting students' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness can help with motivation and overall participation.

Ensemble Thinking (ET) is a toolkit of movement scores developed by dance-maker Nina Martin in the 1980s in New York City. The scores of ET arose out of a confluence of Martin's choreographic and improvisational performance practices. The impetus for developing ET was to develop a technical language for creating and discussing improvised dance.…

In this article the authors present practical approaches to alignment cueing using the Functional Awareness® approach to embodied anatomy. The pedagogical philosophy is beneficial for all levels of dance skill. We describe specific instructional practices to enhance understanding of the body, and the cueing can be incorporated in any dance class.…

This article discusses the necessity and possibilities of introducing ballet training into the process of teaching Chinese ethnic dance from theoretical and practical perspectives involving pedagogical analysis. We propose that there is a homologous and complementary relationship between ballet and Chinese ethnic dance in philosophy, aesthetic and…

Focusing on Sri Lankan dance and placing it on the broader spectrum of South Asian dance, I propose a pedagogical process that engages critically with colonial past and present realities, a pedagogy that I term decolonial choreography. A South Asian dancer born and bred in Sri Lanka, I studied and performed the Kandyan dance of Sri Lanka and the…

Wax, taffy, immigration. Removal, alien, roots, belonging. Screendance. These apparently unrelated words were the inspiration for "Uprooted," a screendance project that addresses issues of immigration through movement and metaphor. Developed with a cast and crew of college students, "Uprooted" became the nucleus for community…

Dance educators frequently function in a performance situation--teaching, leading discussion, rehearsing, choreographing. Because of the nature of the work, introverts may be driven to behave in a more extroverted manner and less like themselves. How do introverted teachers navigate the demands of teaching and preserve their energy while best…

This "In Practice Article" provides recommendations on how to utilize "Journal of Dance Education (JoDE)" articles with secondary education students (typically ages 10-18), featuring examples of all four types of "JoDE" articles (Feature Articles, In-Practice Articles, Student Readings, and Book Reviews). These…

Courses: Introduction to Communication (within a unit on culture), Intercultural Communication, Race and Communication, Gender and Communication, Media and Diversity, Dance Appreciation, and Introduction to Dance Studies (within a unit on culture). Objectives: This activity merges dance and communication to invite intercultural learning. Through…

End-of-year celebrations and holiday performances can be a tremendous source of joy and accomplishment for a dance studio or school dance program. It can also be a source of anxiety for students, teachers, and families navigating time pressures and expectations. The author provides some guidelines for moving through the holiday season with a…