Alys Bentley's Dance Impulse, Embodied Learning, and the Dancing Mind

The work and writings of Alys Bentley (1869-1951), an influential educator of dance and music, have been overlooked in dance scholarship. This article seeks to place Bentley in the history of dance in the United States, particularly in the context of early twentieth-century "natural" or ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dance chronicle 2016-09, Vol.39 (3), p.249-278
Main Author: Saumaa, Hiie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Alys Bentley
Bentley, Alys
Dance
dance education
modern dance
movement and music
Music education
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The work and writings of Alys Bentley (1869-1951), an influential educator of dance and music, have been overlooked in dance scholarship. This article seeks to place Bentley in the history of dance in the United States, particularly in the context of early twentieth-century "natural" or expressive movement forms and Dalcrozean eurhythmics. The essay examines Bentley's legacy as a dance educator, her theoretical writings on movement and music education, and her views on dance, technique, and practice as expressed in her work of experimental poetry, The Dance of the Mind.
ISSN:0147-2526
1532-4257
DOI:10.1080/01472526.2016.1228352