Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) is the most prominent figure in contemporary philosophical and literary debate. He originates a trend-breaking theory of deconstruction. He opines the persistence in west European philosophical tradition of what he labels is logocentric metaphysics of presence. He argues that the different theories of philosophy, from…

David McNees' deep foray into creativity theory and drama begins with mindfulness as a preparation for adolescent focus. This article discusses role incarnation, the correlation of the three-period lesson to Landy's role theory, the creation and re-creation of personal story and identity, archetypal heroes, and how the adaptability learned in…

This paper charts the ways in which a researcher uses applied theatre practice as a tool to address netizenship issues in the advancement of digital age by documenting a workshop he co-facilitated with graduate students at the University of Porto during the Future Places conference in 2013. The workshop used applied theatre both to catalyze…

In September 2011, I travelled to the Palestinian Occupied Territories to participate in an internship with the Al Kasaba Theatre in Ramallah. As part of my internship I was invited to attend rehearsals of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with students of the Drama Academy Ramallah. Directed by Samer Al-Saber, with movement and choreography…

This case study examines the relationship between school-based performing arts participation and academic identity development for African American male high school students. Participants addressed how their engagement in a school-based performing arts program influenced their academic achievement and school experiences. The researcher used…

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to investigate the Montclair State University's West African drum and dance ensemble. Analyses of the data revealed three themes related to individual participants and the "lived reality" of the group as a whole, and to the social-cultural teaching--learning processes involved: spirituality,…

The authors ask if participating in an early-childhood theater production improves pretend play and cooperation among preschoolers. They examined play sessions immediately before and after productions of interactive earlychildhood performances at Imagination Stage, Inc. and measured children's engagement, cooperation, pretense, and misbehavior.…

Solid, well-grounded teachers can be instrumental in solving the problems facing our schools and students because it is successful teachers who are the most valuable, in-school contributors to our students' success. The importance of teacher preparation programs (TPPs) in developing quality teachers has been reinforced by researchers who have…

Increased emphasis on standardization in primary grades can stifle spontaneous literacy play. The authors argue that allowing playful, collaborative, multimodal literacies into primary classrooms and specifically in writers' workshop can expand and enliven the way we see students' literacy strengths. The authors look closely at the unique…

Speckled Egg Dance was established in Galway, Ireland, in 2013, to facilitate opportunities for learning disabled dance artists to develop semi-professional dance skills and independent choreographic practice. The company aims to contest normative perceptions of learning disabled dance ability, and to make learning disabled dance aesthetics…

In this article, the author describes how the hottest show on Broadway, "Hamilton," teamed up with a nonprofit organization and a major foundation in an attempt to reinvent how American history is taught--and motivate 16-year-olds to interact with primary documents from 240 years ago.

In this article, the author examines how a pedagogical and creative practice in one school for lowest-caste girls in Lucknow, India, is harnessing the imaginative affordances of theater--in particular, its ensemble-building and its capacity to hold the present open for investigation--to leverage these practices for understanding the political…

Arts education has no firm place in Hawaii's public school system. Even the Board of Education plan and the State Department of Education's plans differ in how they refer to and make recommendations about the place or purpose of arts education. This article reviews examples of competing policy to suggest how arts-integrated style teaching could…

Given the necessary attention required to ensure that every K-12 learner has access to quality Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), equally important is the assurance that their teachers are effectively prepared to provide excellent art education experiences. Unfortunately, the literature indicates that many are unprepared in this area (Oreck, 2004;…

Ekphrasis celebrates and cultivates the relationship between artwork and poetry, particularly encouraging the use of written and verbal descriptive works to enhance the art education experience for students. This article discusses various ways ekphrasis could be incorporated in the art classroom. Ekphrasis highlights the strong connection between…