The Pan-Pontian dance "Tik" can be found in many variant forms depending on the geographical origins of the dance. The purpose of this study is to determine the differences and similarities between the different forms of the popular Pontiac dance "Tik" and therefore limit the uncertainties and generalizations around its basic…

The importance of reflective practice is frequently noted in the literature; indeed, reflective capacity is regarded as an essential characteristic for professional competence. The ability to think about why and what one does is critical to intelligent practice, practice that is reflective rather than routine. In recent years, higher education…

The aim of this study is to compile and synthesize empirically based articles published between 2000 and 2012 about the critical issues of developing dance talents across the lifespan of children, adolescents and adults. The present article updates and extends a review article related to the identification and development in dance written by…

Recent neuroimaging evidence has suggested that expert dancers have stronger activation than novices in areas of parietal cortex while watching dance. The role of parietal cortex in the processing of spatial information could suggest that expert dancers are more attuned than novice dancers to spatial cues while watching dance. Instead of focusing…

This article explores the creative role of contemporary dancers within the choreographic process, and introduces the question of why their creative contribution is often overlooked? It highlights how different modes of creativity can be understood, and what impacts different choreographic processes have on the way dancers understand their creative…

Dance education in the P-12 setting serves many purposes, including creating technicians, producing creative thinkers, and increasing students' understanding of emotional and physical health. However, in settings where there is often only one teacher running an underfunded program, how is it possible to attain all these goals? The instructor…

This article reflects upon the process of creating dance in an intermedial telematic dance setting with university students. Some contextualisation is made of five telematic dance projects (the "Phillypool Projects 2007-2012") that have taken place between two universities, one in the UK and one in the US. It will explore some of the…

This qualitative study investigated the impact of the mirror on a dancer's body image. Two groups of students enrolled in beginner ballet classes were taught the same classroom material; one group was taught with mirrors, the other, without. At the end of the semester four students from each class were randomly selected to participate in a…

Contemporary dance in East Africa, specifically Kenya, is a newly emerging art form informed by the political drive of a small number of choreographers. In this article, I discuss Kenyan choreographer Opiyo Okach's contribution to dance training as exemplified through the "Shift … centre Series 10" which was performed at The Place,…

Commitment to an activity forms an essential part of the talent development process, yet little is known about the reasons why young people commit to dance training. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that affect young dancers' commitment to a selective dance talent scheme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19…

Purpose: This study investigated the different postural control strategies exhibited by experienced and novice dancers in ballet turns ("pirouettes"). Method: Thirteen novice and 13 experienced dancers performed ballet turns with dominant-leg support. The peak push force was measured in the double-leg support phase. The inclination…

While Dama square dance is gaining popularity in China, especially with middle-aged and older-adult women--hence the "Dama" (Chinese for "big mamas") moniker--there have been conflicts due to the loud music played for the activity. After a brief explanation of Dama square dance and a description of the context of the conflicts,…

Multicultural curricula that explore African musics often focus on the commonalities among its musical traditions. Exploring the diversity of individual African musical traditions provides a pathway to the multiplicity of sounds, cultures, beliefs, and uses inherent within African and all multicultural musics. Deeper insights into the diversity of…

This article describes how conductors of the top performing groups and music education faculty at one university collaborated to create a Family Concert Series for parents and children of all ages, including infants in arms. Recognizing the conflict between "The first three years of life are the most important for educating a young child in…

The concept of ngoma is present throughout Eastern and Southern Africa. Ngoma refers to the tradition of expression via music, drumming, dance, and storytelling. History, values, education, and even identity can be transmitted between generations. This article traces the experiences of a music teacher from the United States traveling and studying…