Since 1977-78, The USA National Dance Association (NDA) has selected one individual each year to receive an award as NDA Scholar and/or Artist and make a presentation at the association's annual meeting. The following essay was originally presented as the 1994 NDA Scholar's Lecture; a manuscript version has been published by that organization. The…

This paper argues for a change of thinking about the "ideal body" in relation to ballet as a dance form and how it is studied. It distinguishes between spectator and practitioner perspectives on ballet, and draws on the practice of established dance artists and that of the author to write about the first-person experience--from the inside out.…

This study reports the findings of a qualitative study of competitive West Coast Swing dancers that incorporated both ethnographic and phenomenological techniques. A modern variation of the original Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing is typically learned in dance studios and non-profit clubs. The West Coast Swing community can be considered a community…

This paper is a reflection on the process of dance choreography, an assignment for pedagogical evaluation at postgraduate level in an Indian university. It is also a recapitulation and reconstruction of my experiences while undergoing a Master's course in Bharatanatyam (a style of classical dance) in the Centre for Performing Arts (CPA),…

-This paper was presented to the VII Commonwealth and International Conference on Sport, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in Brisbane in 1982 (1200 delegates) and was subsequently published in Volume 1 (Dance) of the Conference Proceedings by the Department of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland Australia. The Conference…

This critical analysis focuses on the movement vocabulary and interaction of dancers in selected sections of the filmed version of "White Man Sleeps" (1988) by Siobhan Davies. The choreography is divided into five distinct parts, in accordance with divisions in the musical accompaniment from which the piece takes its name, a suite of five…

This paper examines two very different approaches to dance training, ballet technique and the somatic discipline of Topf technique ("TT"). It explores and evaluates the application of TT to ballet training. Initially, what is meant by the term "mind/body connection" is discussed, and then the paper examines, in a theoretical and a practical sense,…

This paper examines the ways in which the choreography of "Moulin Rouge!" offers a range of gazes to the audience through the perspectives of both the characters and the camera itself. Various gendered and imperial/colonial power relationships that occur within the narrative are heightened in the choreography by referring to discourses inscribed…

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the rhythmical and the kinetic parts of the Hasapikos dance--both slow and fast--so that, after their relation is determined and recorded, the authentic form of the dance can be formally expressed with rhythmical numeration for teaching purposes. The collection of the data was based on…

The purpose of this article is to investigate the effect of an introductory traditional Greek dances programme on the motor proficiency development of pre-school-age children. The sample of this research consisted of 66 students (36 boys and 30 girls) attending public kindergarten in Argolida prefecture (Greece), aged 4-6 years (X = 59.79 plus or…

Dance history is studied at all levels of the curriculum, whether as a named course or part of other domains of enquiry. Debates drawn from the philosophy of history and historiographic practice can impact on the teaching and learning of dance history in order to produce a more imaginative and personal engagement with the field. These debates are…

The "Critical Thinking Belief Appraisal" was administered to practicing dance teachers (n = 52) in the USA to investigate their beliefs (and use of) critical-thinking activities with high-advantage and low-advantage learners. Results point to an "advantage effect" in dance teachers' beliefs about critical thinking: the higher the perceived learner…

This study proposes a new paradigm for the learning and teaching of choreography in the tertiary sector. It is based on the rationale that the choreography curriculum for the twenty-first century should be broad and balanced, and that tertiary students will benefit from a range of skills, knowledge and understanding germane to possible future…

This paper traces an experience of designing and conducting qualitative research in dance education. The primary aim is to highlight the importance of giving consideration to research methodologies in the emergence of personal research practice. Making decisions about what method/s to use will ultimately direct the engagement with any study,…

The purpose of this study was to discuss the dance technique class experiences of students in a university dance program. Working within a post-positivist methodological framework, I interviewed five university dancers. Using the lenses of phenomenology and hermeneutics, I compared and contrasted the women's stories with each other's and my own.…