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Dance Education Blog

NDEO's "Dance Education" Blog features articles written by NDEO members about dance and dance education topics as well as periodic updates on NDEO programs and services. This is a FREE resource available to ALL.

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By Wendy Masterson, MSME/T, RSDE, MFA ~~ The similarity yet diversity of our experiences with cancer helped us to clarify that our pathways were neither right nor wrong, sometimes based on fear, but always with the potential to deepen intrinsic knowledge of our selves. Our experiences acted as a catalyst in exploring the effects of cancer on people who identify themselves through their ability to move and express themselves through that movement. Cancer diagnosis was only the first step of many ...
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By Alyssa Thostesen, Dance Facilitator, Arts Access Program at Matheny ~~ From accepting identities outside of the gender binary to celebrating diverse body shapes, abilities, and aesthetics, the dance world has been slowly embracing the idea of otherness in studios and performance. We, as a community, have taken major steps towards inclusion since the early years of codified dance that were fixated on appearance and sought perfection found in the ideal dancer physique through years of exploring...
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By Anne Dunkin, NDEO's DELRdi Coordinator ~~ The DELRdi is a searchable dance education database that contains an index of over 9,000 journal articles, theses/dissertations, conference , government reports, independent research and papers, standards and curriculum, newsletters, historical papers, blogs, syllabi, and online postings. In this blog post, NDEO’s DELRdi Coordinator Anne Dunkin presents at what the DELRdi is and how it can benefit you as a dance educator, researcher, or student...
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By Heather Harrington, Dance Faculty at Kean University ~~ The first time I heard a student of mine refer to dance as “the industry” was in 2015. Maybe she saw me physically recoil before saying, “not all dance falls under the category of industry.” My recoil was rooted in my reluctance to see the pursuit of dance as “a manufacturing activity or a distinct group of productive or profit-making enterprises” (Merriam-Webster). During feedback sessions in my composition classes, as I began to ...
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By Emily Enloe, Dance Educator at Oakbrook Middle School in South Carolina ~~ Like many educators, COVID-19 accelerated my tough daily load of teaching. I struggled with turning my program on a dime to meet new COVID-related protocols while remaining focused on what was important—the students and their needs. Although the changes gave me some time and ability to experiment in new ways with my dance program, it also took a toll on my mental and physical health. After being stuck at home during...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects - Content Writer ~~ Most dance teachers have at least a basic understanding of music. They know how to find the beat, count measures of 8, and understand the difference between a march and waltz. Others go their entire career using their own sense of musicality: feeling the music as opposed to understanding the theory behind it. Still others may be knowledgeable about music as its own discipline, but may want a deeper understanding of how music and ...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects - Content Writer ~~ Thank A Dance Teacher Day is a global movement to shine the spotlight on dance education and the teachers who make it possible. It was started in 2014 by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) to raise awareness of the benefits of dance education through social media. Held annually on the first Thursday in May, Thank A Dance Teacher Day is a perfect time to show your gratitude to the dance teachers who made all the diff...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects - Content Writer ~~ In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the many benefits of tap dancing. We’ll also look at a brief history of tap dance and why it is important to include that history in your classes. You’ll hear from Thelma Goldberg, Director of The Dance Inn, creator of Thelma’s tap notes, faculty at Dean College, and professor of NDEO’s online course OPDI M24-Classic Tap Repertoire: The Shim Sham Shimmy, as well as a few NDEO members...
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by Cheryl Johnson, Adjunct Lecturer, Dance - University of Rochester ~~ I perceive jazz dance as a creation of people: people that I have met and who have influenced my life, and people of the past who have revolutionized American culture: Charles Sherwood: my uncle, percussionist with the U.S. Navy Band in Korea, who turned me on to jazz chord progressions: Steve Porter: dancer in the Company of Man, Buffalo, NY a Vietnam War Veteran who turned me on to the music of Nina Simone and dancing from...
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By Luke Kahlich, Professor Emeritus, Temple University ~~ While I understand the complexity of charting new territory in assessment, I am concerned that the value of the content in the arts is not sacrificed for expediency or structure. I believe that we have entered a new age where the only certainty is change and that the future success of students will depend on flexibility in thought, knowledge of access procedures, and tolerance and respect of multiple perspectives. To address this new worl...
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by Pascal Rekoert, Assistant Professor and Dance Education Program Director at Central Connecticut State University ~~ If one thinks about teaching and learning in dance education, the realization dawns quickly that, like the art form, dance education is a gendered field. As a nation, the U.S. upholds rigorous and conservative beliefs and values towards gender norms, especially the expectations towards men. While dance has become increasingly accepted for males, especially in progressive regions...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects Coordinator ~~ Dance can sometimes get a bad wrap in society. It can be considered frivolous and inconsequential, a nice hobby to have but nothing more. As dancers, though, we know that dance can be powerful! Dance offers physical, mental, and emotional benefits to individuals and can help build strong and supportive communities. Throughout history, dance has been used to bring people together, raise awareness of societal issues, and help support im...
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by Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects Coordinator, “What is Jazz Dance?” It’s a simple question, but the answers are not as straightforward as they might appear. We can find the answer by not just peeking at current jazz classes in dance studios today, but by also taking a look back through time at the powerful roots and winding branches that have built this unique genre and helped shape American history...
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By Maria Haralambis, M.Ed., NASM CES, FMT, The Dance Scientist, LLC, PhD Student, Entrepreneur ~~ The field of Dance Science is an excellent way for dancers to learn about their bodies, anatomy and biomechanics from a young age. These lessons on anatomical awareness impact dancers for the rest of their lives and are unique to dance. One of the biggest ways I believe we can make Dance Science more normalized is by having a consistent curriculum for young dancers, who I believe are left out of dan...
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By Demi Agaiby, M.S., Dance Psychology Consultant and Director of Beyond Horizons Performance ~~ As dance educators, it seems as though there is constant pressure to create. Whether it's choreographing the group piece for the spring showcase or putting the final touches on a competition solo - we've all been in a situation where we are rushing to beat the clock. Although we might have a plan in place to get those things done, life happens. Perhaps a snowstorm cancels a much-needed rehear...
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