Reconstructions are critical in giving body to the history of dance. For student dancers, participating in reconstructions is a participation in both the legacy of dance and in dance as a form of cultural discourse. When choreographers generate movement vocabulary and improvisational parameters together with performers, the resulting collaborative…

Crossing artistic modalities so that students respond aesthetically to dances rather than through written critiques can enhance the teaching of dance technique. This integrative method encourages the practice of artistry, the act of finding voice, along side the learning of technique. The use of a basic premise from expressive arts--that art…

Those who have advocated for dance in public education have also found their discipline to be easily malleable to fit whatever goals and values seem in style. In different times, dance education has been marketed as a way for students to become healthier, better adjusted, better problem solvers, better critical thinkers, better team players, more…

University courses preparing elementary education majors to incorporate creative movement into their teaching methodology are becoming requirements in many schools of education around the country. The article addresses three questions pertinent to preparing upcoming teachers: 1. How can pre-service generalist teachers develop an appreciation of…

As issues of equity consistently surface as a fundamental concern for dance education's past, present, and future, this commentary is the first of a number of pieces that will focus on root common goals, new ways of seeing the field, and acting upon both of these realizations in one's own site. In this initial commentary, the author discusses…

The dance studio typically features a wall of mirrors; however, there has been little research on the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of mirrors in the training environment. Psychological studies on objective self-awareness, the ability to see one's self as an object, suggest that the mirrors magnify this state. How this increased…

Addresses pragmatic aspects of somatics in the public sector, investigating the fit of somatics within various institutions and settings, including universities, professional schools, and community programs. The article explores issues such as somatic movement approaches, certification, academic degrees in somatic study, confusions within the…

This is a report on teaching the first semester of college-level choreography with an emphasis on elements of craft. The philosophical and aesthetic issues that lie behind this choice are described and an attempt is made to explain the sequence of coursework and the way choreographic skills are approached. Student comments are included to show the…

This article presents a collection of shorter pieces from current and former dance chairpersons which addresses concerns and questions about sexuality in dance education from a variety of perspectives. Although each essay stands alone (and was written as such), the conversation that develops helps one to see the larger geography mapped by…

Investigated relationships between private dance schools and higher education programs, examining factors that facilitated or hindered successful collaborations. Surveys data indicated that positive connections were characterized by investigating and respecting the needs, cultures, and goals of potential partners during all phases of planning,…

Provides a transcultural perspective on somatics, reflecting on the evolution of somatics in different dance communities around the world, noting shifts that have occurred within specific cultural contexts, and discussing the presence of somatics in academia with the challenge of conducting research that retains somatic integrity. The article…

To resist and transform gendered and hypersexualized assumptions and attitudes that cloud interpretations and devalue readings of black and brown bodies, dance educators cannot only facilitate agency for their students, but also help demonstrate an overarching concern for social justice and equality. Dance has the power to transform and redirect…

This article describes the three fundamental strategic principles--to be curricular, developmental, and democratic--that have been designed and implemented in the Mamaroneck High School's integrated arts program, a four-year, sequential, elective program that includes dance, theater, and music. An explanation of the ways in which the dance…

This study examines the cognitive experiences of children as they engage in creative projects in both dance and poetry. The data includes interviews with fifth graders from an elementary School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, about their lived experience of writing poetry and creating dances. Students interviewed for this study participated in a…

Discusses the great diversity and lack of consistency in dance teacher preparation and certification programs, examining K-12 licensure (state certification, vocational certification, and endorsement); certification of private studios and schools of dance (certification and registry); current progress toward certification; and the five-phase…