The lack of systematic training available for young dancers with disabilities has previously presented a barrier for those wishing to develop their skills and pursue a career in dance. Recently, a number of initiatives have launched to help bridge this gap; however, currently no established assessment measures exist that are sensitive to the needs…

Neurodiverse children in day treatment programs often experience behavioral challenges that limit their opportunities to engage in recreational physical activities. These activities are important for physical health and aid in developing motor and socio-emotional skills. The present study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to…

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…

The major importance of preschool children's mental health with regard to their emotional and social development has a documented ground in the literature. In these domains, it is crucial for young children to learn how to express their emerging emotions appropriately and efficiently. Creative dance and movement is already being used as a…

This article seeks to reveal and problematize the multi-layered construction of whiteness in dance competition culture by illuminating assumptions about technique embedded in 'all styles' competition dancers perform on stage. The phrase 'dance all styles' is a shorthand of sorts for those in dance competition culture, as what they really mean is…

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…

This article provides an overview of a proactive approach to collaboration for both dance and teacher education. Collaboration was examined through the lens of assisting children with disabilities to reach their maximum potential in the art of dance. The purpose of the research project was to examine pre-service teachers, in both dance and…

Parents and guardians are the first individuals who impact a child's daily life. However, no single person is responsible for the growth and development of a nation's children. Collaboration is critical to a successful community-based program. One often hears the phrase, taken from an African proverb, it takes a village to raise a child. The…

This article describes dance/STEAM-based educational workshops for 3rd and 4th graders at a local science museum led by the artistic director and members of a professional dance company and supported by a large university research community. The overarching pedagogical goal was to use dance to learn about science and science to learn about dance.…

Community-engaged scholars, practitioners, and community partners often find the language of community engagement challenging. Words like "participate," "collaborate," "partner," or "engage" fail to convey who in a community-university partnership has voice and authority in decision-making and responsibility…

This article critically explores two dance educators' reflections of difference in dance learning and teaching. We pose the question, How as educators might we facilitate and view difference? What have we learned in our teaching practices that aims to celebrate difference? Through the sharing of narratives and reflections about our experiences of…

The aim of this study is to illuminate and discuss assessment within dance education in Swedish upper secondary schools through teachers' reflections. The study investigates how teachers reflect upon the range of possibilities explored and difficulties encountered in their assessment practice. In order to be able to comprehend the phenomenon of…

One Saturday, in November in 2014, a researcher made an explorative intervention with 22 professional performing and teaching dance artists on the independent dance field in Norway. Through the three-hour-long intervention, the researcher and participants dived into questions about choreographic processes and dance pedagogy in contemporary times.…

Dance as an academic endeavor has held a place in higher education since 1926. From its beginnings as a major of study under a department of physical education, dance in academia moved into departments of fine arts and flourished as an expressive art form in the mid to late 20th century. In the 1990s, dance in K12 education similarly moved from…

This qualitative case study of a Southern California community college dance program explored structural/administrative and social/cultural barriers faced by faculty and students who plan to transfer to university dance programs that require an audition for admission. Interviews with faculty (n = 4) and recent alumni (n = 6) were analyzed with…