Based in bodily awareness, somatic education has many points of relationship with dance education. Body-Mind Centering[R] (BMC), with some of its roots in Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals (LMA/BF), has a particularly easy link to dance. When studying Body-Mind Centering, the theoretical components are often taught through dance…

Rhythm tap is sweeping the nation as an outlet for self-expression. Also known as "jazz tap" or "percussive tap," this art form's dominant focus is musicality, improvisation, simple-to-complex rhythms, and new styles. It reaches beyond technique and serves as an outlet for self-expression, independence, and spontaneity. Rhythm tap incorporates an…

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…

This paper is a study of the impact movement education has had on prospective dance and theatre practitioners--how they think about, perceive, and experience movement. The purpose is to discuss the concept "experience" as it relates to phenomena being considered during classes in dance improvisation and movement for theatre with the objective to…

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…

The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of Rudolf Laban's theories of movement to the teaching of choreography and improvisation. The paper presents learning activities appropriate for early encounters in the development of artistic process skills. It is predicated on the theory that the choreographic process is a heuristic process…

Using improvisation in movement and dance classes is an ideal way to help students relate to how their bodies move. Students can learn confidence from the way they move by experimenting with unconventional and different methods. Improvisation, as such, is responding spontaneously to stimuli (music) in order to create a composition that allows for…

In recent years, Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been applied in medical and psychological areas of professional education. The PBL approach requires students to move past traditional choreographic methods toward making dances informed by real-world issues. In PBL, students work cooperatively to solve complex problems. Rather than being presented…

Suggestions for teaching improvisational dance in a nonthreatening way are offered. (DF)

Investigating the nature and value of dance drama as an expressive idiom for elementary school children, this paper discusses foundational concerns about the nature of dance drama, aesthetic content, learnings in dance drama, and the organization of these learnings. Noting that the ideas of dance drama presented have largely emerged from a content…

Investigated how an expert elementary teacher implemented constructivist-oriented teaching strategies to engage students' critical thinking skills when learning creative dance. Data from teacher and student interviews and videotapes of creative dance lessons provided contextual information about using appropriate constructivist-oriented teaching…

This publication presents ideas and educational activities that will assist teachers of creative dance with lesson planning. The volume is organized into three parts. Part 1--Theory consists of six chapters: (1) What Is Creative Dance: The Elements of Dance; (2) Why Learn Creative Dance: Learning Outcomes; (3) Where Is Creative Dance Taught:…

This paper describes the work of a teacher at the Heartwood Dance Center, a school of dance and related arts in rural Calhoun County, West Virginia. The teacher also conducts freelance workshops in local schools of the region, where people are isolated and incomes are generally low. The extent to which children are talented is partially dependent…

The arts are central to quality early childhood programs. Experiences in the arts commonly attract and sustain children's involvement and provide opportunities for individualized creative responses. This research project investigated the implementation of arts games (structured play experiences based on drama, music, dance, and movement) into the…