Dance Literacy
0Before I can explain the importance
of dance literacy and why it is
needed, let me begin by defining the
term: dance literacy.
Literacy
0 According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
0 lit·er·a·cy noun \ˈli-t(ə-)rə-sē\
0 Definition of LITERACY
0 : the quality or state of being literate
0 1lit·er·ate adj \ˈli-tə-rət also ˈli-trət\
0 1 a : educated, cultured b : able to read and
write
0 2 a : versed in literature or creative writing
Dance Literacy
0 Dance literacy, however, is not found in
the dictionary.
0 One can deduce that dance literacy
means being literate in dance:
knowledgeable in dance technique,
history, vocabulary, notation, as well as
an avid dance viewer.
Dance Literacy
0So what?
0Why is it important?
Dance Literacy
0 Susan Graham in her article Developing
Intellectual, Social and Emotional
Literacy Through Dance Education
(2008), discusses the benefits of dance
education.
Dance Literacy
1. In general, arts education helps to
increase students’ self-esteem.
Dance Literacy
1. In particular, dance teachers’
develop the following 3 dimensions
of their students:
a) Emotional
b) Social
c) Intellectual
Dance Literacy
1. These 3 dimensions are developed
through 4 facets of dance education:
a) Interpretation
b) Creation
c) Notation
d) Analysis
Dance Literacy
0 New York City’s Department of Education (NYC DOE)
on its website:
http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/index2.
html
Has an entire Blueprint for Dance and sample Dance
Units, both advocating for and preparing educators in
teaching dance.
Dance Literacy
0 The Accelerated Motion: Towards A New Dance
Literacy website:
http://acceleratedmotion.wesleyan.edu/index.php
1.“Foster[s] a multidisciplinary understanding
of how movement ideas are enacted in various
aspects of American culture.”
Dance Literacy
2. Believes that viewing, thinking, and
writing “about dance brings students
face to face (or rather, body to body)
with their own cultural assumptions,
forging potent intellectual connections
between historical contexts, social
issues, and the development of a
critical point of view. ”
Dance Literacy
0 The Language of Dance (LOD) website:
http://www.lodc.org
Is an incredible resource for dance educators, providing
them materials, such as, the movement alphabet, LOD
symbols, and more.
Movement Alphabet
Body Actions
POB diagram
POB symbols
Dance Literacy
0 The Dance Literacy Games website:
http://www.danceliteracygames.com
Is a constructivist approach to movement education,
providing dance teachers with fun interactive ways to
teach dance composition, improvisation, analysis and
reflection.
Dance Literacy Videos
Grammar Dance
http://vimeo.com/4843971
Sole Creation Dance Co.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5BYf9aw7E