Western aesthetics tends to maintain its long-standing preoccupation with the visual arts, music and literature. The dance, along with the arts of radio and television drama, has not yet received the attention that would seem commensurate with the cultural importance of these forms and the widespread influence they undoubtedly exert. To come upon mention of dance, or of particular works, even if only by way of illustration, is still relatively rare in the writings of British philosophers. In this article, the author discusses the state of aesthetic enquiry relating specifically to dance. The author contends that the aesthetics of dance is likely to remain handicapped unless the standards of criticism are improved. (Contains 12 notes.)