As higher education institutions look forward to determine the needs of graduates, they are discovering a demand for hands-on training that facilitates the development of higher order thinking and skills. One valuable method of providing such training is creating community engagement opportunities that integrate university students' educational…

Dancers in a liberal arts program of study are an underrepresented group in the field of dance science and dance education literature. Dancers in this environment come with a broad range of interests and typically strive for high academic achievements outside of their dance studies. Therefore, their patterns of training and injury might be…

Many college students come to dance with very narrow views of what dance is, how it should be expressed, who should be able to dance, and how to proceed with their own futures in this field. Students often do not recognize what roles dance plays in the world, other than a form of entertainment, and they struggle to make connections between history…

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…

As a result of decades-long dwindling arts funding sources, U.S. nonprofit dance companies struggle to emerge and be sustained. However, mutually beneficial relationships are often developed between nonprofit dance companies and educational institutions such as K-12 schools, universities, and private studios. These relationships enhance students'…

This study explores how Pacific cultural values can be of critical significance in the completion of a tertiary learning journey, particularly as students navigate neoliberal mind-sets of individuated learning. As a case study, the paper draws on the "talanoa" (conversation) with a Niuean graduate, as he shares reflections on the…

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…

Teaching dance in the university raises political and ethical questions regarding the process of cultural transmission. Framed by pedagogical theories of Benedictus de Spinoza, Paolo Friere, and Henry A. Giroux, and two case studies, three authors explore intersections of race, class, gender, and religion. Authors also dissect their own critical…

Creativity is an inherent element of contemporary dance and is frequently cited as a key pedagogical objective of higher education dance training. Nevertheless, there is little writing about the means by which dance teachers understand, recognize, and subsequently assess creativity at the higher education level. We undertook semistructured…

Whereas traditional ballet classes have been seen as authoritarian and patriarchal in the past, the recent shift toward more feminist and democratic teaching and learning styles within the context of higher education allows for new ways of learning and teaching to emerge. To contribute to the discussion surrounding alternative ways of learning and…

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…

In redesigning a pedagogy course for college dance majors, the author sought ways to provide practical teaching experience for students that coincided with making connections within the local community. Through research on best practices in service-learning courses, diverse methods of reflection proved key toward enhancing student experience…

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…