of the body, as reflected in the mirror, objectifies the dancer's body and requires students to strive to achieve a specific "look" while being "corrected" so that the students perform "proper" dance technique. Furthermore, this traditional dance education setting reflects a particular power relationship between student and teacher. As the teacher presents specific movements that require rote learning, while students anticipate teacher praise and attention through correction and physical manipulation, the teacher is often viewed as an allknowing expert and authority. The teacher maintains control of the class through specific tacit rules that afford him/her a degree of power over the students in the class. In a sense, dance students give their bodies to their teachers.Of course, the aforementioned description reflects my own experiences in dance as well as my reaction and responses to students and research in this area. As a somatic educator, I have been concerned about body issues. I personally value proprioceptive awareness and the abilities of students to listen to the inner messages of the soma and reclaim ownership of their bodies. And as a researcher who has been interested in sociocultural issues related to the body and dance education, particularly from a critical/feminist/postmodem perspective, I have been interested in exploring postpositivist methodologies that allow me to investigate such issues within a more global context. Further, it is relevant to point out that many dance teachers do include somatic work and body awareness techniques in their classes and many educators attempt to help dancers gain ownership of their bodies. Certainly, there is much inner work being done in "release technique" dance classes.However, with these considerations in mind, the purpose of this article is to share my research regarding more typical traditional dance classes, and the general issue of somatic authority and the myth of the ideal body in the dance world. After introducing the study, discussing the theoretical framework that guided the investigation, and briefly discussing the methodology, I will present the initial findings. It may be significant to point out that this work is part of the larger study. As is common in many large and complex qualitative research projects, I will present part of a fuller investigation based on analysis around the theme of "the ideal body." Therefore, I will be unable to address some significant topics and themes such as somatic practice and the creative process (see Green 1996-d). The Study: Somatics and the Gendered Body in Dance EducationThe purpose of this project was to investigate how the bodies of participant student teachers in dance are socially inscribed in relationship to gender. In this study, somatic practice was used as a tool to investigate body perceptions and experiences of undergraduate dance education majors. The five participants took part in a somatics/creativity project within a university-level instructional setting at a state university in the south. This...
Before addressing somatic knowledge as content and methodology in dance education, it is useful to take a moment to talk about what is meant by somatic knowledge and somatics as a field of study. The term, "somatics" has been used widely in dance departments throughout this country and the world. However, the term is not a monolith; not everyone uses it in the same way.
This pilot qualitative research project investigated the meaning and value of a community-based dance education programme in the United States. The programme was designed to provide a targeted group of "atrisk" children, ages 9-13, with the opportunity to participate in an intensive summer workshop in dance. Twenty-three young people participated in the programme. All participants were girls. The purpose of the programme was to involve the students in the study of dance, involving both the discipline of dance technique and the creative possibilities in choreography. Diverse data sources included student and parent interviews, teacher/mentor journals, and researcher field notes. Two group interviews were conducted with five groups of two to five students. Interviews were also conducted with the mothers of six students and the mother and father of one student. Findings pointed to an increased interest in dance for the young people as well as an increased respect for their potential to accomplish goals through hard work and cooperation with others. However, a number of problems and issues surfaced. For example, flexibility was a particular concern when dealing with the difficult lives of the participants; students did not necessarily show up for class or attend to what was requested by their teacher/mentors (university students). There were more pressing survival issues in their lives. Power concerns became prominent as the programme facilitated a discussion of social issues and a challenge to think reflectively about whose needs the programme served. As a result, this investigation pointed to a call for multicultural learning by the directors of the programme and the university students, as well as the need for service to the community. Article: As dance education becomes more complex and attempts to serve the needs of diverse populations, many educators and performers have sought ways to provide those who are disenfranchised with arts services. By disenfranchised, I mean particular populations who are deprived of power and success due to a lack of access to educational opportunities. Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on community service learning programmes which seek to provide opportunities to those who most need services. Some of these programmes attempt to use choreography to reach members of the community; others adopt a more pedagogical focus. This trend is fertile ground for dance education programmes seeking to move beyond the studios and schools and into the communities in which people live. This article presents the findings of a qualitative research study which investigated a community dance project conducted in the United States. The project intersects with a number of recent community initiatives both outside and inside the country. The Community Dance Movement Most often, the term "community dance" has been associated with particular programmes that arose in places such as the United Kingdom and Australia during the 1970s. Although there were community dance initiatives prior to this period...
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