ýҕl


Please Wait a Moment
X

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.

Archive by category: All SectorsReturn
by Pascal Rekoert, Assistant Professor and Dance Education Program Director at Central Connecticut State University ~~ Successful educators continually adopt a sense of curiosity in their work environment, ideally adjusting to their community’s needs and learning attitudes. As teachers, we are leaders who strengthen our community in the microcosm of our learning spaces, guiding individual students toward success. It is imperative to build (or revisit) our teaching philosophy annually. While thi...
Read More
by Nadia Ureña, NDEO Intern, Fall 2024 ~~ For college applications, merit awards, grants, or even just simple showcases, dancers are often asked to describe their own choreography in writing.Yet where does one begin? How can an entire choreographic process and work be described in a simple paragraph. Additionally, dance makers may feel challenged to condense longer works into simple ideas. As a former undergraduate and graduate student in dance, choreographer, and a teaching assistant of several...
Read More
By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with high school age dance students. We are defining high school age dance students as those approximately age 14-18, in grades 9-12. High school students are navigating the transition to adulthood. As the non-profit EL Education describes, “As students transition into and through high school, they are able to make more connections between their actions and the impact of those...
Read More
By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with middle school age dance students. We are defining middle school age dance students as those approximately age 11-13, in grades 6-8. Middle school students face unique challenges, and dance educators in turn have a special opportunity to reach and impact these students through dance - although it isn’t always easy. According to the Association for Middle Level Education (...
Read More
By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with elementary school age dance students. We are defining elementary age dance students as those approximately age 5-10, in kindergarten through 5th grade. Many elementary age dance students come to class excited to learn and explore movement, and they tend to be enthusiastic learners. However, their eagerness can at times lead to unruly behaviors or quickly turn to boredom wh...
Read More
by Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this blog series, we are exploring ways to help dance educators foster better connections with their students, so that they can teach more effectively and meaningfully. This blog series features insight from NDEO members who responded to a call for submissions, as well as ideas gleaned from resources used in our OPDI courses for dance educators...
Read More
by Nisha Pradeep, Bharathanatyam Dancer, Teacher, and Choreographer ~~ The sound of a chollu (sound/syllable) or a sound uttered has a life. It may live for a few seconds to even as small as a millisecond. The skill of a dancer is in embodying that sound fully and wholly within their movement. Every movement sequence (adavu) in Bharathanatyam is associated with a specific sequence of syllables set to rhythmic pattern. The dancer executes each movement sequence in accordance to this rhythmic syll...
Read More
by Judith Lynne Hanna PhD, Affiliate Research Professor, University of Maryland ~~ At times during their careers, dancers may want to explain what dance is to family, friends, students, schools, spectators, and the media. After all, knowledge about dance is new and limited compared to the other arts. My journey toward understanding dance began as a child in 1946, and the odyssey hasn’t stopped. A pediatrician told my parents that ballet would make my feet strong. So I studied ballet. Dancing di...
Read More
by Anne Dunkin, DELRdi Coordinator 2004-2024 ~~ For two decades NDEO has provided members with open access to its Dance Education Research and Literature Descriptive Index (DELRdi). However, usage statistics indicate that very few members take advantage of this unique and significant dance education information resource. WHY? To dismiss any misconceptions, and to reinforce DELRdi's usefulness, this blog describes eight scenarios that bridge all dance education constituencies and might easily...
Read More
Over the summer, many teachers find themselves reflecting on the past year: what worked, what could have gone better, and how to improve the learning experience for your students next time. If you are looking for a way to enrich your classes and deepen your students’ dance learning, consider incorporating somatic movement into your dance classes. Somatic movement is a term for a range of movement practices that “enhance human functioning and body-mind integration through movement awareness,” ...
Read More
By Shelby Bensinger, NDEO Program Coordinator ~~ Welcome to Part 3 of NDEO’s blog series highlighting Performing Arts Organizations who are institutional members of NDEO, and celebrating their contributions to the field of dance education. In dance performing arts organizations, creativity and passion come together to uplift communities and celebrate cultural diversity. These institutions serve as beacons of artistic expression, providing accessible avenues for individuals of all backgrounds t...
Read More
By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ As a dance educator, you might be familiar with the term somatic movement. You may have seen social media posts extolling the benefits of trendy somatic workouts, you may even have some experience with somatic movement practices, like Alexander Technique. However, you may be curious about what the term “somatic movement” actually means, or how to incorporate somatic movement practices into your dance lesson plans or personal practice...
Read More
by Gina D'Antonio-Spears, Dance Educator, Portage Park Elementary, Chicago Public Schools ~~ When I first began teaching in Chicago Public Schools, dance positions were few and far between. One day, I was at a conference and I met this amazing elementary dance teacher. I latched onto her like a lost puppy, asked if we could have lunch together, and *boom* I had a mentor. Suddenly I was not alone in my work, no longer teaching dance in a bubble. Over the years she advised me and inspired me, ...
Read More
by Betsy Maloney Leaf, PhD, MFA, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota ~~ The following blog was written by NDEO member Betsy Maloney-Leaf. She is proposing a new Special Interest Group for Teacher Trainers in Dance Education, the educators who prepare the next generation of dance teachers. We at NDEO recognize and support the need to bring this group of dance educators together to cultivate support and leadership within our community. This blog sets forth why our community needs this spe...
Read More
By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ When you think about honor societies, the first thing that might come to mind is student recognition: honor cords and induction ceremonies, mentions on resumés and framed certificates. Student recognition is indeed an important part of the mission of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA), a program of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). Our mission goes beyond celebrating outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and acade...
Read More
Page 1 of 7 FirstPrevious [1]

Subscribe to our Blog

Submit a Blog Post

To learn more about submitting a Guest Blog post, click here.

Search our Blog

Blog by Date

Categories