The article describes the development, organization, goals, and activities of a course designed to trace the evolution of jazz dance and tie this dynamic dance form to the cultural experiences of African-Americans. (CB)

This article describes four years of experience the Pittsburgh High School of the Creative and Performing Arts has had with a dance program. Problems and virtues of the program are highlighted, and suggestions for improvement are offered. (MT)

Kentucky Mountain Square Dancing is appropriate for all ages because it is easy to learn and fun to do. A brief overview of square dancing is presented in this article. An example is given that offers calls and directions to be used. (DF)

Clogging is a rhythmic dance that children enjoy watching and doing. This article discusses the history of clogging and suggests eight basic steps to be used in the physical education class. Clogging resources are included. (DF)

Basic instruction programs, those designed to instruct students in sports, dance, and fitness, are physical education in its purest form. These seven articles examine basic instruction programs in terms of history, trends, goals, financing, student fitness, and lifetime activity. (MT)

This book provides theoretical knowledge, practical tips, and inspiration to help prepare the next generation of dancers and meet the demands of contemporary dance. It teaches the reader to set strategies and reasonable goals; use rituals to facilitate centering; safely incorporate conditioning principles; understand the interplay between gravity…

Examines pedagogical content knowledge obstacles that teachers sometimes face when teaching educational dance, discussing several pedagogical strategies related to teaching educational dance (eliminating challenges and determining skill levels, the role of the teacher, categories of educational dance, and contextual situations). These strategies…

Examined how the Feldenkrais Method of somatic education informed a series of contemporary technique classes in a professional setting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Collaborative research findings highlighted three themes: transfer of learning, movement awareness facilitation, and construction of the dancing bodies. This study works toward a shift…

Among 20 Ontario elementary school teachers (average teaching experience 13 years), none had ever taught creative dance but all felt it should be included in the elementary curriculum. Barriers to implementation included lack of training and confidence, little support from administrators and policymakers, and lack of resources and facilities. (SV)

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…

A four-component aiming movement was used to examine the relative effectiveness of part and whole practice. Following a pretest, participants were assigned to one of three practice groups. Participants in a "Whole" group practiced the four components together as a unit. A "No Overlap" group practiced the first two and last two components of the…

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…

In England the government's specialist schools initiative is transforming the nature of secondary education. A three-year longitudinal case study tracked the effects of specialist performing arts college status on two schools. The sites were a mainstream school drawing pupils from an area of high social deprivation and disadvantage, and a special…

This paper focuses on Iceland's arts and cultural education. The objective of arts education is to develop creativity, strengthen self-identity, and increase cultural understanding. It aims at a balance between, creation, expression and interpretation, on the one hand, and perception, discernment and evaluation, on the other. In accordance with…

This paper focuses on Portugal's arts and cultural education. The Ministry of Education (ME) is fundamentally responsible for establishing aims to develop the cultural and creative aspects of education, in accordance with the following aims defined for the whole curriculum. At the level of compulsory education, the Portuguese education system,…