Creating Space for Every-Body in Dance Education

• Published in: Physical & health education journal 2013-04, Vol.79 (1), p.18
• Main Author: Zitomer, Michelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to education; Curriculum development; Dance; Dance Education; Educational Environment; Skill Development; Student Behavior; Students with disabilities; Teaching methods
• ISSN: 1498-0940

Although it is important to devote attention to language use in any dance class, the teachers I interviewed highlighted a need to reflect on ways in which the diversity of bodies present in the dance class impacted their use of instructional language. In a traditional dance class, phrases such as "stand tall", "everybody up", or "plant your feet into the ground" seem completely natural because dance is experienced, learned, and lived through the physical body (Horton-Fraleigh, 1987), and the language of instruction in dance is based on a taken-for-granted body having two arms, two legs, and the ability to walk. One of the teachers, Leanne, shared how she went home at the end of her first day of teaching and wrote down all the words she would normally use in instruction and sought alternative words for each instructional cue. For example, rather than "stand tall", she considered cues such as "elongate your spine", or "feel your head floating up". Elin and Boswell (2004) suggested using phrases such as "travel in a relaxed speed" in addition to the instruction "walk". Teacher openness and willingness to explore ways to bridge the diversity between bodies and to create a common language of dance are essential for successful inclusive dance instruction. However, with a considerable diversity of bodies in the same dance class it may be difficult to establish language that is inclusive at all times. Communicating with students to learn how they feel about particular instructional cues may be helpful in establishing a more inclusive language of dance instruction. Numerous resources exist that provide activities and advice for teachers offering inclusive dance programming (i.e., [Benjamin], 2002; Elin & Boswell, 2004; Kaufmann, 2006). However, it is also important to illuminate the experiences of teachers who teach inclusive dance as teaching dance is a process that involves learning and making mistakes with and in front of students (Benjamin, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to share some insights I gained from my teaching experience and from interviewing five other experienced inclusive dance teachers who taught children and adults in various recreational settings. All of the teachers possessed a strong background in dance. One teacher had a degree in occupational therapy and was working on her Master's of Arts focusing on inclusive dance, one teacher had a Bachelor of Arts in recreational therapy and dance, one teacher had an Master's of Arts in theater stud