Dance Philosophies and Goals

Dance is art. Dance is performance. Dance is entertainment. Dance is therapy. Dance is spiritual. Dance is cultural. Dance is exercise. Dance is expression. Dance is educational. To me dance is all of these things and so much more. It not only a study that encompasses a whole person, but also a whole people. When you study or perform a dance you are learning about people as a whole and you are learning about yourself. I have learned that dance can have a connection to anyone and anything. Over the course of this semester in Orientation to Dance I have realized how true this really is.

At the beginning of this semester we wrote down some short definitions of dance and art and what it means to us. I defined art as “expressive body movement.” I still think this is very true. I think that any kind of movement can become dance, but in order for it to become dance it needs to be an expression of something. It can be an expression of a feeling, an idea, a culture, or anything. Dance has expressed many things for me. Daily dance classes are often an expression of how I feel that day. Performances have been an expression of a story or idea that my choreographer wants to get across. I have been able to see how dance can be an expression of culture mostly through world dance. Over this last year dance has also become an expression of my spirituality and my love for this wonderful gift of a body that my heavenly father has given me.

In the April 2010 Ensign the visiting teaching message titled “Seeking and Receiving Personal Revelation.” One of the quotes from this message is a powerful example of the power of dance, it states, “In it’s more familiar forms, revelation or inspiration comes by means of words or thoughts communicated to the mind, by sudden enlightenment, by positive or negative feelings about proposed courses of action, or even by inspiring performances, as in performing arts. As President Boyd K. Packer… President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has stated, ‘Inspiration come as more as a feeling than a sound.’” (Ensign 7) Dance is a powerful performing art that can be a manifestation of the spirit. In just one year at BYU I have already heard numerous stories of how the touring dance groups have performed in several countries and the people there have felt the power of the spirit through our dancers. Even though there are language barriers in other countries dance and the spirit are universal languages that can be understood by anyone who speaks any language.

Dance has also been an excellent way for me to explore and express my appreciation for the human body. Martha Graham said “In a dancer, there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength.” (Graham 118) Over the past couple of years I have had an increased curiosity and passion for learning about the human body. I have accumulated anatomy textbooks, taken anatomy classes, and have strived to use this knowledge in my dancing. Learning about human anatomy has given me the knowledge to have better and more efficient movement. As I understand the body better I understand how to manipulate it better. This not only applies to my dancing, but also my every day life. I am constantly in tune to what my body is telling me and I understand what I need to do to keep my body happy which keeps me happy. My knowledge of anatomy not only helps my movement and my body, but also my spirit and my testimony. As I learn anatomy and apply knowledge of anatomy to my movement I become increasingly aware of how truly incredible it is and how great a gift it is from my Heavenly Father. There is no way that all of the elements of a human body could be put together so gracefully and intricately to create something so magnificent without divine design by my Heavenly Father.

Over the course of this semester I have begun to study American Sign Language (ASL). This has sparked an interest in me in the connections between dance and sign language. In a sense ASL is a form of dance. It is movement with the intention of conveying a thought, idea, or story. ASL incorporates use of the whole body to convey meaning. Often times people who haven’t learned sign language believe that it is a set of hand gestures based on the English language, but this is entirely false. ASL is it’s own language with its own set of grammar and rules separate from the English language. ASL incorporates the whole body. Not only hand gestures, but also body position and facial expression are crucial to understanding meaning in sign language. The meaning of a sign changes with differences in these other areas. The tone of each of these words also changes with the intent of the action of the sign. This is the same for dance. It is not only about the movement that we perform, but also about how we perform it and with what intent.

Not entirely related to this idea that dance and ASL are so similar, in the future I would like to do some research or some work in the area of teaching dance through sign language. This semester I had the opportunity to tutor my sign language TA in swing for his social dance class. I have never spoken with my TA, only signed. The appointment to practice was set up in ASL and the practice session was conducted in ASL. I have only been a student in ASL for one semester making me feel entirely inadequate in any conversation with someone who would be considered fluent in ASL. However, it was a successful practice. I was able to get my point across using a combination of signs that I knew and made up gestures. Because we both had an understanding of movement (both in dance and ASL) we could understand each other even though we were not fluent in each other’s language. As I worked with my TA to help him understand the movement that was required for the class I realized I could be much more efficient in my teaching if I knew the signs for dance specific words. Often in ASL there isn’t a sign for certain words in a special jargon or brand names of things. It would not surprise me if many of the words related to dance you would have to fingerspell or find a similar word for. I think it would be interesting to go through a wide range of dance terminology and determine the appropriate signs for such terms. I’m not entirely sure how much research has already been done in this area and what there already is out there, but I think it would be very interesting to find out.

I also find it very interesting to explore the opinions of people on dance. I have found it very interesting to compare the opinions of dance from the perspective of dancers and non-dancers (non-dancers being people who do not dance and study dance on a regular basis.) Just in discussions with multiple friends on the same performance this weekend, Ballroom Dance in concert, I have gotten very reactions from dancers and non dancers. A fellow dancer, Rachelle Baker, and I agreed that we didn’t particularly enjoy a dance entitled Macgalaxy. We both felt that it was an interesting concept, but it felt unfulfilling to us as dancers because we were at a ballroom concert and expected to see ballroom dancing. The dance lacked a formal presentation of what we know to be ballroom dancing which has a very specific structure, style, and technique to us. In talking to another girl in my ward, Miranda King, she got enthusiastic to discuss her favorite piece of the entire performance. She was thrilled with the creativity and the uniqueness of the dance. She did not care that it wasn’t a representation true to the ballroom style. She just cared that the dance was interesting to her. I’m not saying that either of these perspectives is wrong, but shows the differences in how each individual can view a dance differently based on their specific knowledge and experience

Another friend, Zac Evans, who is not a dancer made an analogy I found very interesting. Curious as to what he would say, I asked him what was something random I could relate dance to. His response was “popcorn.” When I didn’t respond for a second he explained himself. “popping popcorn is just like dance... they spin and they spin and they spin and then they kinda leap into a beautiful beautiful thing.” I think he has an interesting point. It’s true that people, normal, everyday human beings, go through learning movement and they practice and perfect it until it has truly become this beautiful beautiful thing called a dancer. Through training and refinement of all this spinning and leaping and popping around we can create beautiful dancing dances that are works of art.

To me the art of dance is the art of living. Dance and living are forever intertwined within me. I love another quote by Martha Graham which says “I am a dancer. I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living.... In each it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes in some area an athlete of God. “ (Graham 118) I also love another quote by Havelock Ellis. It states, “Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.” Dance can encompass every part of you. It supports anything and everything you do and live. I do not think that there isn’t anything in your life that will not benefit from dancing.

I would like to conclude with a quote by Peter Saint James. “Talk about dance? Dance is not something to talk about. Dance is to dance.” I think the most important thing about dance is to dance. It is a lofty endeavor to explain dance. It can be difficult to express a reason we dance, or what dance is. It is important that we understand how to articulately defend dance, but the most important thing to me is that I keep dancing.

Works Cited

Baker, Rachelle. Telephone interview. 10 April 2010.

Evans, Zac. Skype interview. 11 April 2010.

Graham, Martha. "I Am A Dancer." Dance 261 Packet Readings Fall 2004:

118-120. Print.

King, Miranda. Personal interview. 11 April 2010.

"Seeking and Receiving Personal Revelation." Ensign of The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints April 2010: 7. Print.

Creative Dance Education: The Need for Creative Dance Programs in Public Education

“From the earliest moments of life, man lives in his body-he is from birth to death continuously in action. The range and variety of his motion are enormous. His body is the unique instrument for living his life. It is more than that; it is the center of his experience, for it is not only fundamental to his perception and conceptualization but reflects what has been perceived and conceptualized” (Haberman and Meisel 2-3). If movement and action are essential elements in living life why is it that school children get little movement in school other than physical education classes twice a week? It would be beneficial for schools to provide an opportunity for children to physically express themselves during the day. Studies in creative dance are not only a healthy outlet for emotion and movement, but can also be a holistic approach to teaching students basic life skills. Creative dance should be taught in the public education system because of its value to the growth and development of all youth.

Here are some definitions of terms to prevent confusion when using words or phases with specific intentions within this paper. The first is public education. In this paper public education will refer specifically to grades K-6 taught within the American public education system. Many ideas can be applied outside this system and at different age levels, but for the purposes here it will refer to this group of students. The second phrase to define is creative dance. Martin Haberman and Tobie Meisel , who wrote Dance-An Art in Academia, explain that, “a dance is movement put into rhythmic and spatial form, a succession of movements which start, proceed, and finish” (96). In many of the books referred to in writing this paper creative dance has also been called movement activities or rhythmic movement. These will also fall into the same definition as creative dance. The third and final term to define is kinesthetic awareness. Anne Ingram, who wrote Moving With Music defines it in this way “The kinesthetic sense is the muscular awareness of body placement, an awareness relayed to the brain by nerve endings in the muscles and joints” (27). With this in mind this paper will continue the argument for creative dance in the public education system.

Creative dancing can help to strengthen a child’s mind. In a collaborative effort Richard Kraus, Sarah Hilsendager, and Barbara Dixon stated that “Creative modern dance in particular may be taught as a problem-solving experience in which students seek solutions to assigned movement tasks involving the elements of energy, time, and space; or combinations of movement directions and levels; or uses of different parts of the body” (314). Creative dance can help train students to use their concentration as they strive to use problem solving skills. As students explore areas of choreographed dance from other countries they can learn more about that people’s art and culture (315). They can also improve memory as they learn sequences of movement and are expected to understand and execute them. As children solve problems within their own movement and explore the movement of other’s they exercise and enlarge their brainpower.

The discipline learned while exploring creative dance can be extremely beneficial throughout a student’s life. Creative dance can be done individually, with a partner, or in groups where students can learn appropriate social behavior. While dancing with their pupils, students must be mindful of good social decorum to be successful in their own movement as well as the movement of the group. Creative dance also provides opportunities for students to accept and apply constructive criticism to themselves and others and see more immediate affects. Students must also learn to exercise self-control in their dancing. Once a student has learned the necessity of self-control within creative dance he or she can also begin to apply this to other areas of his or her life. A good foundation in social behavior and self-control in creative dance will help a student practice these characteristics in all other aspects of his or her life.

While dance is considered one of the fine arts, in most schools where it exists, it has been included in the physical education department. Until recently Brigham Young University even held the Dance and Dance Education majors within the school of Health and Human Performance. Creative dance does have a strong place in the athletic field. It takes balance, agility, and strength to dance. A kinesthetic sense is developed through creative dance as a students learn the capabilities of their bodies and how to control them. These elements can contribute to the physical health of students as they cultivate these skills.

Dance is widely accepted as an art and can be used as a creative expression within school. C. Madeleine Dixon stated, “Self-expression has a place in modern education. The dance that does not allow a free flow of emotional expression is failing in one of its most important functions” (7). She taught in many schools and observed that when students were given time to improvise many individuals choose to improvise an emotion they were feeling whether it be anger, fear, worry, happiness, or joy. During times of free improvisation students can express their emotions in a structured way through an artistic medium.

There are several reasons creative dance should be taught within the schools rather than be left to private studios. One of the most important is that an education in dance can be expensive for a family or individual to provide. It can be costly both in time and money creating a difficulty for some to pursue. Another reason to include dance within school is that it provides variety and interest. Creative dance allows the students to get up out of their desks to move and get out of logistical thought to create. Martin Haberman and Tobie Meisel explain, “Education for young children is not a preparation for living- it is living […] Since education is living, it cannot be acquired without involvement of the mind, body, and emotions” (138). Creative dance strengthens all three: the mind, the body, and emotions through discipline, creativity, athleticism, and artistry.

It is this ability to strengthen in all three of these areas that makes dance special. David Rockefeller, Jr. stated, “Dance is surely a most extraordinary fusion of thinking, doing, and feeling. If we are concerned about the health of a child’s mind, body, and spirit, then how can we ignore the education force of an art form which addresses all three at once” (Gibb 22). As explained previously dance adequately teaches the student as a whole in multiple areas. Not many other areas of study have the ability to provide this kind of learning.

There have been many arguments against including dance in the public education system. Many administrations complain of lack of space and insufficient funds to implement a dance program at their school. They argue that children are uninterested and therefore it is not worth the investment. Too many boys find the subject matter feminine or frilly. Sports within the physical education department are said to be sufficient movement experience for children. Each of these arguments is inadequate to eradicate creative dance programs within public education.

Each one of these areas has a counter argument. The worth of creative dance education has already been argued throughout this paper. As for the lack of student interest, this is generally due to a teacher or parent’s negative attitude toward the subject matter (Haselbach 25). Contrary to common belief dance can also be quite masculine. During the founding of West Point, a military academy for boys, it was proposed that dance be a required subject and is still an optional class today (Kraus, Hilsendager, and Dixon 295). “One technique that has been used to promote male involvement in dance has been to encourage members of the athletic teams to join dance classes. It has been long recognized that dance training can be extremely helpful to athletes in developing coordination and related qualities” (329-330). A growth in Kinesthetic sense though creative dance can help athletes to be better aware of their bodies and use them more effectively. It can be seen that creative dance education holds high value and is irreplaceable by other subject matter.

Many individuals have had great impact on introducing creative dance into education thus far. Francois Delsarte was one of the first to introduce creative dance to education and emphasized freedom of movement. Gertrude Colby was the next to influence the world of creative dance education with what she called natural dance, which put more emphasis on personal expression of emotion. Following Colby, Bird Larson contributed a more technical study of dance, which looked toward scientific knowledge of how the body works and movesto form a program of dance. One of the most influential women in the introduction of dance into public education was Margaret H’Doubler. She established the first dance major at the University of Wisconsin. She also wrote many texts, which would be used in forming dance programs across the nation (Kraus, Hilsendager, and Dixon 296-300). Many other teachers since these have been influential in developing their own pedagogies for teaching creative dance to children.

There are a few ways in which creative dance programs can be implemented into a school’s curriculum. Both Dance-An Art in Academia and Dance Education suggest a school specialist in dance. This specialist would be someone trained in dance that could train regular classroom teachers in creative dance lessons to teach their students. The specialists would also serve as supervisors and teach classes according to the needs of the school. There have also been more recent studies in a web-based learning program for teaching creative dance in more rural locations. It can be hard to find a dance teacher willing to transfer to a rural town, but with web-based learning using videoconferencing they would be able to teach from a location convenient to them with occasional visits to the school for live classes. A group at Arizona State University implemented this program with some rural communities in Arizona to research its effectiveness. The teachers commented on how it made it much more convenient than the commute to the rural school would have otherwise been (Parish 199). Although this method is not preferable to having a live teacher, it can be used when other means are not conveniently acquired. These are just two, of many ways, that creative dance education can be incorporated into schools.

Teachers with good training can make creative dance within schools more successful. Anne Ingram suggests that, ““[…] a teacher may: 1) demonstrate with music; 2) use concise explanations of the action; and 3) give verbal or rhythmic cues. A prospective teacher should learn to do these things, beginning first with learning to dance well in time with the music” (28). When a teacher uses all three of these to teach a sequence or convey and idea she can reach more students who learn in a wide variety of ways. Ingram also suggests that a teacher be well versed in child psychology and interests as well as a genuine love of children (97). Instructors should also be able to teach in progression, building skill upon skill. By doing so children can work to becoming more successful at higher skill levels. When a teacher does all that he or she can to reach as many students as possible with enthusiasm, he or she can be successful.

Through creative dance in the public education system teachers can develop the whole student. Creative dance at a young age develops characteristics and skills a child can carry with him for the rest of his life. Sarah Lee Gibb stated, “As educators in America our objective should be to provide equal opportunities for all students to explore, discover, and develop abilities in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning. With this in mind, dance as an art becomes and integral element rather than a tolerated appendage in the educational process” (23)

This paper has been an incredible learning experience for me. I chose this topic because I have just been accepted to the dance education major so I felt it would be beneficial to learn more about my area of study. It is also a subject that I am very passionate about. I would love to see more dance in the public education systems. Because I am so passionate about dance I would love to see it be a required school subject, but even if I could just see dance offered in more schools it would warm my heart. I found the article I read on web-based leaning with videoconferencing particularly interesting because research was done by my home state university and because it introduced a very new way of teaching dance I hadn’t really considered much before. During my research I had the opportunity to read a lot more information than was really necessary to include in my paper, but I enjoyed it and found it all beneficial, especially the sections on how to go about teaching dance as this is what I’m particularly interested in. Overall I feel this paper really helped me to explore a subject area of great interest to me and it has been very beneficial to my learning as a dance education major.

Provo, UT; December 2, 2009

Works Cited

Dixon, C. Madeleine. The Power of Dance. New York: The John Day Company, 1939. Print.

Gibb, Sara Lee. "Dance-An Intergral Element In Education." Utah Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. (1983): 22-23. Print.

Haberman, Martin and Tobie Garth Meisel. Dance-An Art in Academe. New York, New York: Teacher’s College Press, 1970. Print.

Haselbach, Barbara. Dance Education. London: Schott & Co. Ltd., 1971. Print.

Ingram, Anne Gayle. Moving With Music. Carrollton, Georgia: Dance Workshop, 1969. Print.

Kraus, Richard, Sarah Chapman Hilsendager, and Brenda Dixon. History of the Dance in Art and Education. 3rd. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1969. 292-342. Print.

Parrish, Mila. "Dancing the Distance: iDance Arizona videoconferencing reaches rural communities." Research in Dance Education. 9.2 (2008): 187-207. Print.