Ballet, the art form, is underpinned by a codified technique -- a set of movements, positions and aesthetics. For centuries, ballet technique has been used to develop movement accuracy and artistry in generations of dancers. Volumes have been written on the schema of ballet technique and pedagogical approaches to achieving dance artistry. This…

Current theorizing in the field of cognitive science embraces the concept that cognitive activity is not centered in the brain alone but is dependent on embodiment and the environment in which it is functioning. A key component of that environment is the presence of others. This article examines the social nature of cognitive activity from a 4E…

Experientially, this article explores issues and problems vis-à-vis the teaching and learning of dance in Nigeria. The article finds that the relegation of dance education in Nigerian higher schools of learning is linked to many factors which include: lack of manpower, lack of infrastructure and knowledge of the numerous values of dance education…

Why haven't students been expected and required to study curricula beyond the Eurocentric perspective? This paper argues for equitable inclusion and representation in curricula and pedagogical practices for the discipline of dance in higher education and explicates why it matters to the discipline's collective identity. Subsequently, this argument…

Relationships between choreographers and dancers are sometimes defined by a particular hierarchy in which choreographers hold more power than dancers do throughout dance making processes. There is very little room for dancer input, interpretation, or feedback in traditional choreographic process models. Though these power dynamics have been…

In the field of dance, barriers still exist in the form of long held Eurocentric traditions that discourage the inclusion of individuals from diverse communities. Classical ballet technique, although not the origin of dance for many cultures (Mabingo 2019), often remains the determining criteria for academic and professional dance pursuits. For…

Current research into reflective pedagogy in dance almost exclusively discusses the tertiary education population. Additionally, the research is primarily focused on concert modern dance and creative dance pedagogies, techniques, and choreography. Ballet technique programs in precollegiate populations have, so far, been left out of the…

Indigenous dances in communities that underwent European colonialism and Christianization are currently practiced in environments that still carry colonial legacies. Without formal dance teachers' training programs and frameworks, individuals in postcolonial Africa have leveraged local resources, social experiences, and individual innovation to…

Acknowledging criticisms of the values supported by competitive dance, this article seeks to develop and advocate a pedagogical reframing of the event in terms of situated learning and mediated learning experience. Making sense of the competitive experience with the contributions of 4E (embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive) cognition theory,…

This article engages critically with the conception of the temporality of artistic work taught in higher artistic education, which has recently been implemented through the Bologna Process. Through an analysis of new study regulations and assessments within fine arts and performing arts education in Denmark, this article proposes that not only is…

In this article we analyze the landscape of dance teacher certification programs in the United States for the potential of anti-racist transformation in the field of dance education. We look at higher educational programming as a main place for revolutionary change in the future of dance education because the socio-political culture within…

The pubertal transition can present an interesting paradox for the young dancer, with growth and maturation leading to improvements in some areas such as strength and power and detriment to others, such as flexibility and co-ordination. These challenges highlight the need to consider the interactions among biological, psychological and…

"Fin de siècle" cancan dancers Jane Avril and Louise Weber ("La Goulue") examined alongside the musical dance and song number "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity serve as examples of how decontextualization of images leads to essentializing the subject of the image that gives precedence to a male gaze focus. In analyzing…

This article explores the expanded possibilities of Bharata-Natyam education in the United States (US) based on a reflective practice in my dance over the past thirty years. This has given rise to an epistemological investigation into the seeming dichotomy of tradition and agency and has percolated into a set of questions, especially salient in my…

Using practice as research as my methodology I examine whether it is possible to choreograph "Hairspray - the Musical" while staying true to the movement principles developed by Kurt Jooss and Sigurd Leeder in the Jooss-Leeder Method. In discussing the process and the product I explore also the difficulties in choreographing for, and…