This article explores the importance of vision in dance from both the teacher's and the learner's perspectives. Since vision does not function in isolation, the interplay between sight and other modes of learning movement-based material is considered as well. Movement activities are provided to assist with understanding this information…

The article discusses choreographer Liz Lerman's work with clergy, faith practitioners, and communities in the merging of religious themes with dance. Throughout the article, Lerman raises questions and provides answers that address her investigation of the power of creativity, prayer, ritual and performance, as well as artistry, spirituality,…

This article contributes to a growing educational dialogue about "things of the spirit." It focuses on four manifestations of human spirituality--wonder, compassion, wisdom, and wholeness. These qualities, when acknowledged and validated within dance learning environments, can sustain students and teachers alike in a world that increasingly values…

The article addresses the utilization of modern dance compositional approaches in the development of sacred dance works. A brief history of sacred dance in the Western Church is traced as a foundation for students' stereotypical approaches to dance and religion. Also examined is the 20th Century modern dance choreographers' practice of…

The purpose of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate an experimental course investigating the effect of Feldenkrais "Awareness Through Movement (ATM)" on students' self-image and its transference to concept related dance phrases, motif based improvisations, outside training and performance, and their daily lives. As a dancer and…

These short essays address the political nature of teaching dance in higher education from various perspectives. Issues of identity, authority, power, expectation, and assumption are addressed within the context of the teacher-student paradigm. From personal perspectives, each author examines the ways in which who they are affects what and how…

This article presents an approach to teaching that acknowledges the history and style of authentic jazz dance; also known as traditional jazz dance. Described for students on the first class-day as "...your great-grandparents' jazz..." the course is an introduction to the stylistic characteristics of an indigenous U.S. form evolved primarily from…

Recommendations for the teaching and performance of grand rond de jambe en l'air are presented. Incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data, information generated from biomechanic analysis is balanced with observation of the testing and questionnaire and interview data. The voices of the participants in the research contribute to an…

This article provides a brief description of a dance program at the Old Donation Center Dance Education Program in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The mission of DSI--Dance Scene Investigation--is to nurture the full development of each student's dance potential through intense involvement in every aspect of the art. The program provides differentiated…

This article describes a new alcohol education program at Dickinson State University. The centerpiece of the program is the Alcohol Awareness Through the Arts Program. It involves dozens of students and faculty and regularly draws 400 to 450 audience members. Funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Otto Bremer Foundation,…

University courses preparing elementary education majors to incorporate creative movement into their teaching methodology are becoming requirements in many schools of education around the country. The article addresses three questions pertinent to preparing upcoming teachers: 1. How can pre-service generalist teachers develop an appreciation of…

Re-Education classrooms are self-contained and tightly organized, to meet the unpredictable challenges of daily school life. It is typical to observe children hitting, kicking, spitting, crying or shutting down completely while lessons are being taught. Teachers, in turn, are required to physically restrain a child if he might cause injury to…

The advent of distance education in universities has created curricular and pedagogical concerns as well as possibilities for dance educators. This article addresses questions concerning how technology has altered and broadened traditional viewing and performing venues, the role of the dancer and spectator within them, and how these changes impact…

This study examines the interaction between learning styles and academic performance in an anatomy course that blends traditional lecture with an array of hands-on activities. Participants were 19 students (ranging from 18 to 24 years of age) at Columbia College, Chicago. The Felder-Silverman Index of Learning Styles and a 25-item pre-test and…

The practice conditions within dance training have remained essentially unchanged for decades. Those conditions appear to be based largely on a "culture of rigor," a philosophy of which implies that continuous practice is the most beneficial way to improve (motor) skills. Current evidence in motor learning supports the concept of "distributed…