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…

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…

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.…

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…

Dance integrates both body and mind, yet dance students continue to struggle with loneliness and mental health. Although many dance departments teach the physical components of wellness, such as anatomy or nutrition, most departments do not incorporate the skills or training for mental health and well-being. In this article, I offer several…

With restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, we shifted to a video dance performance experience for the Fall 2020 semester at our university. We decided to use a drone to film an outdoor performance of our tap ensemble. This turned out to be a very successful performance experience for dancers, choreographers, and the online audience. This…

This article serves as an in-practice guide to help teachers facilitate the creation of a dance piece using the five-paragraph essay format to explore themes through motif and manipulation. It is an outline of the process that begins with the selection of a theme and the development of a motif to represent that theme. It compares the development…

This article investigates the implications of childhood dance training and its effects on dance artists' trajectories into the professional field in the United States. It asks what would happen if young movers did not start their dance training with technique, but rather the foundations of the creative process, improvisation, and dance making. By…

In this article, we explore the transformational power of holistic studio culture in dance education, drawing from our personal experiences growing up in dance studios that engaged in community events and dance competitions. Unlike traditional studios bound by a single technique, our formative environments embraced a rich tapestry of dance…

Two dance educators, one from the independent sector and one from higher education, have cowritten this article to discuss the important links between independent studios and college dance programs. We provide the history, evolution, and goals of the DANCE 2050 think tank, which currently focuses on shared values in dance education across sectors.…

Returning to studios after COVID-19, student-teacher tensions seem to be higher than ever. Teenagers who spent the beginnings of their young adulthood in isolation clash with instructors who might mistake their stress and insecurity for apathy and laziness. In this article, I examine my personal experience with teaching teenagers and offer…

Many job postings in postsecondary and PK--12 dance education will ask applicants for a statement of teaching philosophy. This is most commonly a one- to two-page written statement that summarizes your beliefs about teaching and learning that underpin the way you go about structuring learning activities, curriculum, student engagement, and…

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…

I use the term restorative wellness practices as a concept associated with life application strategies and procedures that increase or return wellness to individuals or groups, some of whom have lost or never experienced this due to a lack of opportunities and resources. At the college, where I teach dance, fitness, and health courses, it has…