Dance Practice Research Articles

Flourishing in Salsa Dance: A Qualitative Investigation of Aesthetic, Artistic, and Creative Contributions

Salsa has been referred to as the world’s most popular partnered social Latin dance and is likely health-enhancing when participated in for leisure and socialisation purposes. We are unaware of any qualitative research that has explored salsa dance, specifically, through an aesthetic, artistic, and creative practice lens. In this research, we sought to interpret how these elements of dance may contribute to a sense of flourishing, or holistic well-being, as described by Seligman (2011) in his PERMA model, in a positive psychology context. We designed an anonymous fully open-ended online qualitative survey to explore the experience of salsa as it relates to dancers’ flourishing. Forty-one salsa dancers completed the survey. Their average experience level was 11 years of dance practice in salsa. We used the reflexive thematic analysis approach of Braun and Clarke (2021) to analyse our data. Our actively constructed themes (A dance of positivity; Dance's cognitive embrace; Healthful bodies in harmony; and Steps, hearts, and spirits coming together) highlighted emotional and physical benefits, cognitive and learning aspects, health and wellness, and community building within the data. We believe these findings illustrate that salsa dance does indeed foster a sense of flourishing in experienced dancers within a community dance setting. The practical applications of our research in terms of promoting dance for health are discussed.

Aboriginal dance as pedagogy: privileging voices of Bundjalung elders

ABSTRACT Indigenous dance is a methodology used to convey stories of survival and reform within each Aboriginal language group in Australia. The Bundjalung Nation is the cultural group where we are situated in northern New South Wales. Jagun is a the local Bundjalung language term for Country. This article explores the synergies with world literature and Bundjalung Elder voices associated with Indigenous dance practices as a methodology for decolonising classrooms and other learning spaces. We bring to the focus a local philosophy that urges educators to be the best version of themselves, what Aunty Bertha Kappen called Wana werlu, that specifically means to be yourself in the local Aboriginal language. As such, we attempt to position the redevelopment of cultural practices on Bundjalung Jagun to incorporate Elder’s voice. In doing so, other educators wanting to utilise cultural practices as pedagogy are prompted to be mindful of gaining proper local permissions and incorporating a creative spirit.

‘I’ve Wondered Why Am I Here?’ Expectations of Old Age and the Ageing Body in a Longitudinal Study of a Dance Group

Mainstream expectations of older age place pressure on individuals––both negative discourses focused upon frailty and isolation and successful ageing narratives that emphasize physical and mental exercise. This article considers whether older people can challenge damaging narratives through participating in the practice of modern dance. Over the course of 4 years, action research and ethnographic-based methods were used as the author worked with a dance company of seven members aged 69 to 89 as they created a modern dance piece. Data included fieldnotes, transcripts of individual interviews and group discussions and a video of the performance. A thematic analysis was applied. Moving away from a health perspective, the literature on ageing and lifestyle is advanced by in examining how the group’s creativity should be understood and valued. Participants went from presenting as active agers to developing a more accepting attitude towards their ageing body. The performance refashioned the space as a site of intergenerational connectivity as the dancers and audience co-produced narratives around the artistry of the older body. An original contribution to the work on embodiment is made by revealing how older men and women use dance differently to negotiate the ageing body. Findings have wider implications for research on inclusion by showing how the embodied practice of dance helps subvert expectations of older age.

Better together: toward a joint pedagogy in folk dance and music

The pedagogy and practices of folk music and folk dance are firmly separate in Finland. Furthermore, the expertise in these fields focuses heavily on folk music and dance as performing arts rather than communal activities. The situation has led to the differentiation and fragmentation of professional and amateur activities. To address this gap in knowledge and practice, the KanTaMus project intends to present a pedagogical model for a joint participatory folk dance and music pedagogy devised through practice-based development work. This article explains the basic premises of the model under development. We first discuss the legacy issues crucial in Finnish folk dance and music and its pedagogy. Secondly, we outline the values, pedagogical principles, and prior development work we see as fundamental to our work. Martin Seligman's PERMA theory serves as an overall canvas for our development work. The basic elements of the theory, i.e., positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment, work as a basis for our model, which emphasises embodied presence, inclusion, and interaction as crucial features of a shared learning situation in dance and music. Finally, we present the pairing process as a specific example of the application of the model.

Body without Organs Model of Corporeality as a Productive Corporeal Paradigm in Steve Paxton’s Concept of Contact Improvisation

The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of postmodern dance through the prism of the concept "body without organs" and to analyse the defined model of corporeality as a productive bodily paradigm in S. Paxton's contact improvisation. Research methodology. The analytical, typological, historical and cultural method, the method of cultural analysis (to understand the cultural meanings of the "body without organs" model of corporeality, which are revealed and constructed by postmodern dance practices), the phenomenological method, which contributed to the understanding of dance as a special type of socio-culturally oriented bodily practices, were applied, as well as generalisation method. Scientific novelty. The concept of "body without organs" is studied in the theoretical works of A. Artaud, as well as within the framework of the philosophy of postmodern corporeality of J. Deleuze and F. Guattari; the question of the body and dance as a possible overcoming of its automatisms is considered. The concept of postmodern dance along the lines of the "body without organs" model was analysed and its features as a productive bodily paradigm in the paradigm of contact improvisation by S. Paxton was revealed. Conclusions. In accordance with the specifics of postmodernism, the concept of "body without organs" is positioned as the result of a meaningful application of the fundamental idea about the immanent creative potential of the rhizome (a decentralised semantic environment to the phenomenon of corporeality. In the dimension of postmodern dance, the "body without organs" model has become the most productive bodily paradigm in Steve Paxton’s contact improvisation. S. Paxton’s concept, within which contact improvisation is considered as a specific formation of "spherical space", the result of a change in spatial-kinaesthetic orientation within a short time, involves focusing on the boundaries of body space, understanding its inner essence in relation to external space, the birth of movement in the process communication. Like most postmodern dance practices, contact improvisation is not focused on the final result, but is focused on the continuity of the process and the transformation of the aesthetic experience. According to S. Paxton, sustained movement and spontaneous movement are the poles of the spectrum of possibilities that define his research, as technical dance provides a basis for thinking about improvisation – dance techniques provide information about how movement affects the structure of the body. The model of the "body without organs", which is not limited by any standards of movements, in a duet is revealed in a variety of relationships with the partner’s body. Both bodies balance on the rules of continuous contact, weight transfer, and balance to ultimately acquire newly formed capabilities. Keywords: corporeality, postmodernism, "body without organs" model, A. Artaud, J. Deleuze, F. Guattari, contact improvisation, S. Paxton.

"Everyday Body" Model of Physicality in Theoretical and Practical Heritage of Merce Cunningham

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the formation of the "ordinary body" model of physicality in the postmodern dance system based on the analysis of the theoretical and practical legacy of Merce Cunningham. Research methodology. The analytical method, the methods of analysis and synthesis, the typological, dialectical and comparativist method were applied, which contributed to the clarification of the place and role of physicality in certain philosophical and cultural positions, to the study of the problem of physicality in general and the "everyday body" model in the concept of representatives of postmodern dance, consideration of theoretical – the practical legacy of M. Cunningham, the understanding of the internal relationship between the categories "body" and "physicality" in modern dance. Scientific novelty. The conceptual construct of corporeality, formulated within the framework of postmodern dance, is analysed; the cultural-historical model of physicality "everyday body" was characterised and the features of its representation in postmodern dance practices were revealed; changes in the perception of physicality in the context of the transformation of the sociocultural space of the 50s and 60s of the 20th century are analysed. The understanding of corporeality in the theoretical and practical discourse of postmodern dance by M. Cunningham is considered. Conclusions. At the core of the postmodern system is the principle of randomness, which is positioned as an artistic expression of the involvement of many bodies in the space of action of forces independent of them. In search of ways to free oneself from bodily canons that were formed in the sociocultural space, Merce Cunningham methodologically used randomness as the principle of creating a new dance corporeality, which lacks a coherent image and becomes a flow. In the process of constant experiments, the choreographer's own idea of what dance is (how it feels in the body and how it looks on stage) evolved. M. Cunningham's activities allowed him to overcome the limitations of his own taste and give priority to "movement for the sake of movement" – the dance no longer conveyed the story, emotions or characteristics of the characters. The choreographer completely departs from established dance lexicons, discovering innovative ways of organising and representing bodies in space and time by means of random operations. Taking into account these and numerous additional innovations, in the history of postmodern dance, M. Cunningham exerted the greatest influence on the formation of the "everyday body" model of physicality.
 Keywords: modern dance, postmodern dance, physicality, model of physicality "everyday body", M. Cunningham.

Censorship and the Nationalization of Dance in India: An Overview from 1947 to the Present

In this essay, I present a broad overview of the intersections between dance and censorship in independent India. I try to explore the consequent exclusions within the mainstream dance discourse and practices as they were shaped by hegemonic forces of nationalism. I also look at how the changes in instruments and objectives of censorship reflect changing visions of nationalism. Thisessay broadly examines two major forms of censorship, both of which have been crucial in the appropriation and reconstruction of dance as an integral part of the nationalist cultural identity of India. First, there are the overt forms of censorship, which have been enforced by instruments of state power like legislation and statutory bodies. The post-independence government enacted the Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act 1947 and Cinematograph Act 1952 ostensibly for socialreformandprotectionofpublicmorality,butineffectthey carried forward socio-political biases of Orientalism and colonialism into the postcolonial project of constructing the Indian imaginary. The process necessitated the elimination of hereditary artist communities and professional women performers (and many of their movement idioms) from mainstream practices of dance, even as their art was decontextualized and reconstructedtosuittheofficiallysanctifiedhighculture. This mode of erasure also influenced popular forms ofdance, especially those appearing in Indian cinema, by inscribing them with nationalist notions of womanhood, sexuality, and, more recently, religious majoritarianism. Second, I trace the covert operation of censorship, in which state institutions play a key role in the support and promotion of art. Through selective funding and promotion, conferring privileging labels like “classical,” and presiding over the formalization and classicization of dance, these institutions helped fit dance practices within the nationalist framework of a normative Indian cultural identity that is predominantly Hindu and rahminical. This process resulted in hierarchization, stigmatization, and even omission of certain dance practices, some of which I have highlighted in this essay. The sustained influence of direct and indirect modes of censorship created standardized codes of aesthetics and performance practices, contributing to a chilling effect and leading practitioners to censor themselves. Finally, I argue that the centrality of dance in the national cultural discourse enabled its use as propaganda to censor negative actions of or perceptions about the government. The phenomenon, which may be described as artwashing, has become increasingly prominent in the contemporary context of Hindu majoritarian nationalism seeking to launder itsexclusionary tendencies in the process of redefining Indian cultural identity on its terms. Thus, I argue that censorship in the domain of dance has played not just a repressive role but also a productive role by enabling discourses of nationalism. It has acted as a tool of governmentality, by which nationalist ideologies have been established and reinforced to public, such that they are no longer confined to the sphere of the state but have percolated down to the conduct of individuals.

Dance Preparation: Kinesthetic Exercise to Improve Jaranan Dancing Ability Extracurricular in Elementary School

Often, students experience injuries and low-quality performance caused by low fitness and physical training. After digging deeper, fitness and physical activity rarely occur before Jaranan dance practice begins. This research aims to analyze the impact that occurs after elementary school students carry out the kinesthetic training process regularly and correctly. This research uses descriptive qualitative research with a qualitative approach. The data collection techniques used in this research are observation, in-depth interviews, documentation, and data analysis. Data validation techniques include triangulation of sources and methods. This research shows that providing kinesthetic training to elementary school students through a series of kinesthetic exercises for the Jaranan dance can improve flexibility, balance, and muscle strength and make the body ready to practice the Jaranan Dance. Kinesthetic training has a direct impact on increasing muscle readiness as preparation before being able to dance the Jaranan Dance, so it also has an effect on improving training performance and Jaranan dance performances. With this, students can coordinate their body movements so that kinesthetic training is needed in the learning process. It is hoped that students can strengthen their physical abilities through kinesthetic exercises carried out in stages. The research results can be input for various parties to improve kinesthetic training to improve Jaranan Dance skills in extracurricular dance learning, especially Jaranan Dance.

Embracing a Precarious Life

Abstract This article presents research focused on the precarious life of an independent dance artist in a European context. The aim of this study was to identify ways to understand and cope with the various unstable aspects of the lifestyle and profession of independent dance artists. Together with a group of fellow dance artists, I explored understandings of instability and stability and investigated how collective action might reinforce a sense of stability. I position this study in relation to current economic trends in which the individual is increasingly in focus, with few social security benefits, and the dancer is often faced with solitary living and working situations. I applied a performative, practice-led research methodology supported by feminist post-human theories. The findings led to discussions of the complexity and entanglement of stability and instability, which evolved into a joint phrasing of in/stability, in which I explored how the fluid practice of dance corresponds with not only a wider socio-political landscape but also an ever-changing world.

Editorial

Focusing on the localities within the Southern Oceanic landscapes of Australia, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Asia and the South Pacific (Moana nui a Kiwa), this guest issue takes as its theme the work of the dancer and choreographer in the enriched field of diverse place-based dance practices. Circling around questions of agency, authorship and creative methods, we seek to emphasize experimental, culturally distinct, Indigenous, inclusive and queered practices while accurately reflecting the cultural profile of contemporary dance activity in the region. This Special Issue, collaboratively edited by Dance Research Australia, encourages equitable engagement and contributions of writers attuned to emergent, experimental communities and their contributions to the future direction of the art form.

Multicultural Dance/Movement Therapy to address Adolescent Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety in the United States are becoming more prevalent in the youth population in recent decades and have been exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of poor mental health outcomes are also more prevalent within gender and racial minorities. Current effective interventions to improve adolescent mental health is limited to individual CBT Therapy and some arts programs. Dance Therapy is a well known alternative arts program that has shown to have physiological, mental, and social benefits. However, traditional group dance therapy programs based on Western culture and ideals neither include the unique experiences of the diversifying student population nor do they wholly address students’ mental and social needs. Cultural dances, in the context of the Western world, are traditional dance practices that serve different functions within the local culture. Many are ancient practices that have shown to have deep psychological and social benefits. Our paper proposes a new school-based multicultural dance therapy program that incorporates international cultural dances to improve physical, mental, and social health. Further research is needed to prove that physical, mental, and social health issues may be resolved through the therapeutic effects of multicultural dance therapy.

ASSESSMENT OF BETAWI DANCE PRACTICE LEARNING E-ASSESSMENT BASED

“Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka” (MBKM) is a policy that prepares students ready for use in various joints of life, thus demanding the competence of students and educators in using and utilizing technology in learning. One of MBKM's policies is a student exchange that is converted to 20 credits. Students are given the authority to take courses at various colleges relevant to the field of science and graduate access. Under this policy, a number of courses that have been converted to the MBKM requirement are of concern, especially in the process of learning and assessment. E-assessment used in assessing the learning process of dance practice courses can be a solution, so that students are monitored and evaluated in their learning progress. E-assessment is applied in Betawi dance courses taught at UNJ and UPI Bandung. Research methods use R&D at the system development stage to obtain input so that the evaluation system on e-assessment can be used easily and measurably. The use of e-assessment is expected to make it easier for lecturers to monitor learning outcomes and convert the values acquired by students.

Creativity, Skill, Integrity, Intelligence and Community: A Conversation on the Nature of Practice in Hip Hop

Robert Hylton is a first-generation UK hip hop theatre practitioner, who is currently writing a PhD at the Centre for Dance Research Coventry University on the nature of transmission of knowledge in black British Popping. Jonathan Burrows is a choreographer and Associate Professor at C-DaRE Coventry, who has worked for many years with hip hop artist Jonzi-D, mentoring hip hop artists interested in theatre practice. Robert and Jonathan have shared a long and ongoing conversation over many years about the nature of hip hop and its uneasy relationship to contemporary dance. The following text reflects that conversation, focussing specifically on the nature of practice in hip hop dance including transmission of physical and philosophical knowledge, respect for lineage, innovation and the relationship or not to academic research and the space of theatre.

Dancing and the Stance: Mapping a Creative Practice in African Dance-Drama

This article documents ‘Funmi Adewole Elliott's Practice as Research project into her solo performance practice which is derived from African dance-drama. Her aim is to develop the theoretical context of her practice. Using methods proposed by Robin Nelson, Linda Candy and Ernest Edmonds, her project focuses on the making of a short solo performance The Blind Side (2022). Through analysis of The Blind Side, Adewole Elliott describes how she utilises conventions of African storytelling and Neotraditional Creative Dance to create the performance piece and locate its discursive context. The project opens up a space of ‘know-what’ for her practice leading her to form three lines of inquiry; the conceptual-cultural domain in African dance-drama, the physical dramaturgy of the storyteller and what physical dramaturgy can offer Neotraditional Creative Dance practice.

Dance after stroke improves motor recovery in the subacute phase: A randomized controlled trial

PurposeThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a dance program, combined with conventional treatments, on the motor recovery and quality of life of stroke survivors in comparison with conventional treatments alone. Materials and methodsA total of 16 subacute stroke survivors were randomized into two groups: a dance group (DG) and a conventional treatments group (CG). Stroke severity, cognitive abilities, and motor capacities were assessed at baseline. For six weeks, all participants underwent standard rehabilitation. However, in the DG, participants attended an additional weekly dance class. In both groups, the Mini-BESTest, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), ABC-Scale, Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT), quadriceps strength, and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL) were measured at weeks 4 and 6. Nonparametric statistical tests were applied. ResultsCompared to the CG, the DG significantly improved recovery of balance, coordination, and FIM after four or six weeks. No differences were observed for quadriceps strength, SS-QOL, or cognition. Participants were completely satisfied with the dance class, and no adverse effects were observed. ConclusionsThis study was discontinued following the COVID-19 health crisis. However, the analysis revealed numerous beneficial effects of dance practice for subacute stroke survivors. The results contribute significantly to the advancement of artistic practices in stroke rehabilitation.

Cross-century, Together with the Lions Journey: A Case Study of Lion Dance Practice in Wuzhou, Tengxian Secondary School

As a traditional Chinese folk art that often appears during important festivals or commercial activities, the cultural value and influence of the lion dance is very far-reaching. In the past 20 years, with the rapid development of society, the protection and inheritance of traditional Chinese culture have become a top priority on the road to preserving historical memory, and the lion dance culture popular in southern China and Southeast Asia, like many other traditional Chinese cultures, is facing the challenge of how to continue passing on. By reviewing the materials, this study learned that there is a lion dance cultural hall in Wuzhou, Guangxi, which has a history of nearly 200 years - Bilin Tang, which has received the support of the Wuzhou Municipal Government to deliberately establish the first professional lion dance major in the Tengxian Secondary School. Out of a desire to gain a clearer understanding of the current status of the preservation and inheritance of this traditional Chinese culture, the author finally contacted Mr. Zhong Dao Ren, the current director of Bilin Tang, and with his support, the author went to Tengxian Secondary School to interview in person. The author communicated with Mr. Deng and the students of the lion dance troupe and obtained a lot of valuable information and materials. Meanwhile, the author conducted more in-depth research under the guidance of Professor Bradd Shore at Emory University, resulting in this paper. The inheritance of the lion dance culture encounters not only the problems of funding, government support, and motivation for an inheritance but also the problem of how to make the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture and the development of the trend of the times mutually integrate into the current social context. To avoid the extinction of traditional Chinese folk art like the Southern Lion culture, it is necessary to attract more attention and resonate the interest of young people in such culture. Only the organic integration of traditional culture with modern elements can be an effective means for the long-term survival of traditional Chinese culture.

Dance and Psychological Health: Effect of Dance Participation on Social Development

Dance is listed among the most common physical activities that have been integrated into almost all cultures and societies worldwide. The art of dancing engages an individual’s cognitive, social, and physical facets, all of which are integral components of psychological health and wellbeing. The social element of dance has been integrated into the modern health sector and other social settings to influence the relationship between psychological health and wellbeing and social support-related challenges. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether engaging in dance has an impact on the social dimension of psychological health and well-being. The initial hypothesis of the study, which was based on a literature review, was that participating in dance positively influences the social dimension of psychological well-being. An online literature review search that was conducted on the Google Scholar database for research published between 2013 and 2023 yielded 169 results from which 20 most recent studies between 2019-2023 were selected for inclusion in the final analysis. Dance promotes social wellness regardless of the settings in which it is performed by influencing the cognitive and behavioral processes regulating social relations among humans. Thus, dance is an effective vehicle for social support and a vital network for healthy social connections. Recent dance-based trends and dance practice characteristics could potentially serve as the new modes of social connections to promote social welfare.

WALKING HISTORIES: NARRATIVES OF YOUNG URBAN DANCERS IN THE CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL)

The aim of the study is to investigate the construction of street dances in the city of Rio de Janeiro, describing urban dancers and their daily 'art of doing', listening to their voices and observing their physical and virtual interactions. In this paper, a specific methodological approach is applied towards a tactical plan in order to understand the urban dance phenomenon within the universe of hip-hop culture. This particular approach includes the analysis of eleven narratives of young dancers and their everyday experiences, their personal life stories, interlinked with categories such as masculinity and business. The results reveal the complexity of hip-hop and street-dance culture in general, and specifically among young Brazilians. The narratives of these young men have provided an effective means for representing hip-hop dancers’ concerns and bodily articulations in order to comprehend their dance practice and the construction of spaces, but also indicate aesthetic and commercial dimensions. Keywords: Hip-hop; dance; urban; masculinity; Brazil.

Research on Evaluation Model of University Dance Practice Course Based on Dance Flow Theory

This study focuses on the evaluation model of university dance practice courses based on Dance Flow theory. Firstly, through the analysis of the research background, the purpose of this study is clarified, emphasizing the shortcomings of students’ emotional and cognitive development in existing teaching models, as well as the lack of attention to students’ Flow state. Secondly, through literature research, the relevant concepts of Dance Flow theory are defined, exploring the characteristics of Flow state and its importance in evaluating dance practice courses. Thirdly, the significance and challenges of evaluating university dance practice courses are analyzed. Course evaluation can help students and teachers improve their practical abilities and teaching quality. However, there are challenges in formulating scientifically reasonable evaluation criteria and balancing objectivity and subjectivity. Therefore, the study proposes strategies to optimize the evaluation model using Dance Flow theory. Lastly, through the implementation and analysis of the evaluation model, relevant conclusions are drawn. The conclusions include: Firstly, the evaluation model based on Dance Flow theory effectively assesses students’ performance and learning outcomes in dance practice courses. Secondly, the study finds that there are differences in Flow experience and learning outcomes among different students in dance practice courses.

The formation of cultural identity through dance practices linked to the Parrandas of Guayos in Cuba

The article addresses some characteristics of the Guayos traditional party (traditional festivals of the central region of Cuba), declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2013 and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.These celebrations, also named changüíes, integrate creatively music, dance, singing, religious beliefs, food, drink, clothing, all as part of traditional popular culture, which embody, in various ways, the roots of those who preserve the roots of the people. Based on these elements, it is argued that the potential of the traditional party has not been used sufficiently for the formation of cultural identity in children, adolescents and young people. Dance practices with children and adolescents, developed by the House of Culture of Guayos and linked to traditional party, allow cultural traditions to be kept alive and contribute to the formation of cultural identity, the development of a sense of belonging to the community and its traditions.