Social and emotional competencies (SEC) are critical for success in school and life, as they include the ability to interact with others, regulate one's emotions and behavior, solve problems, and communicate effectively. Research and practice show that dance experiences enhance social-emotional development, yet less is known about the mechanisms…

The primary aims of this qualitative interpretive inquiry were to gain better understanding of dance teaching artists' preparation and preparedness, workplace challenges, and the role and impact of policy and regulations in P-12 schools. A secondary aim focused upon identifying school environments that support effective and purposeful dance…

We contend that improvements are needed in current dance audition practices in higher education regarding inclusivity, equitability, and diversity. As a case study, we critically evaluated and modified audition practices at Ball State University with a specific goal to generate strategies and future considerations that provide a more inclusive,…

Teaching artists typically work as solo agents, without the comradery of a like-minded community. After a year of focus groups, teaching observations, and conversations with school and arts administrators, we identified a need for experienced teaching artists to have a chance to reflect upon, renew, and reconsider their teaching practices with…

This article examines students' choices in a postsecondary dance major curriculum where students selected to study one or more of five dance practices (African and Diaspora Movement Practices, Contemporary Ballet, Movement Language Sources, Postmodern Contemporary Dance, and Urban Movement Practices) each semester along with required coursework…

Media advances have changed the ways in which we interact, communicate, teach, and learn. The growth of telecommunication, video sharing sites, specifically YouTube, and social media, have exponentially increased the number of people interested in dance and dance education. Technology presents new ways for students to think about their learning,…

This article synthesizes current dance education research that demonstrates connections between the culturally relevant pedagogy and student academic achievement, details why the arts are exponentially important and valuable to all communities, and provides practical solutions for the everyday teacher. Through a pointed focus on culturally…

Media arts has been familiar to many through television, film, and digital graphics, and often appears as an extension of the four traditional arts disciplines: music, arts, theatre, and dance. As media arts continues to acquire its own unique identity, particularly through technological means, it has been included as a stand-alone discipline in…

One of the great puzzles within the Western concert dance world is why so many artists who create revolutionary works onstage conduct their classes and rehearsals as demagogues. Such teachers are engaged in teaching practices that replicate and reproduce in the dance studio the very power relationships they are often critiquing as unjust and…

Discusses the evolution of dance education, the national support for arts education, and the implications for dance. Considers the challenges that must be met to establish quality dance programs. Focuses on how to address the challenges both at the national and state level. Provides recommendations. (CMK)

Stresses the importance of local arts, focusing on encouraging modern dance at the local level. Addresses issues such as audience participation, sense of ownership and community, and accessibility that accompanies local art. Considers the implications for K-12 modern dance education. (CMK)

Argues that the arts demand careful analysis when providing a rationale for the inclusion of the arts in educational programs and policies. Provides information on the content and context of dance opposition and provides examples from dance history of issues that need to be addressed. (CMK)

Discusses the development of the concept arts education. Provides an example of an exemplary district wide arts education program in a Vancouver (Washington) school district as a context for comments on factors regarding districtwide implementation in other school districts. Addresses what constitutes a districtwide arts education program. (CMK)

Examines the theories of Howard Gardner and Rudolf Laban as frameworks for exploring issues of creativity and dance education. Asserts that Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and Laban's language for movement description provide a language for discussing creativity in dance. (CFR)

Asserts that the self-actualizing and expressive nature of dance contributes to an intuitive sense of morality. Criticizes the body versus mind dualism and antibody bias implicit in the Western intellectual tradition. Contrasts the aggressive nature of sports with the expressive character of dance. (MJP)