how to be successful in dance class essay

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How to Plan a Successful Dance Class

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A friend of mine who teaches high school math was surprised to hear that dance teachers make lesson plans, too. It’s true that lesson planning for school is a lot more complicated, what with national standards and all, but yes, a good dance lesson requires some planning! In this post, I will walk you through my process for planning a dance class. It’s a combination of what I learned in college and my own method that I’ve developed by trial and error.

Step 1: The Big Picture

Ideally, you have a list of goals that you’ve been working on throughout the year. (I’m running on the assumption that this is not the first class of the year. That requires a totally different planning method.) Take a look at your goals, what’s been successful, and what needs more work, and use that analysis to create a “focus of the day.”

A focus of the day could be pretty much anything you want your students to learn or get better at. It could be something from your list of goals, either something you’ve already worked on that needs more time or something you haven’t gotten to yet. Or, it could be something that’s not on your list of goals that you think is important to cover. Always be open to straying from the master plan if you think your students need something.

Let’s pick an example focus of the day to use for the rest of the post. Let’s say we’re teaching a pre-pointe ballet class with girls age 11-12, and we want to work on maintaining turnout in petite allegro.

Step 2:  Plan According to the Focus of the Day

Once you’ve picked a focus of the day, you’re actually going to plan the class backwards. Start by creating a combo that will force the students to work on the focus of the day. In our example, we would make a petite allegro combination, probably with a lot of fifth positions and opportunities for them to check their turnout.

Once you have the combo, you play a little game. The goal of the game is that by the time you get to the combo, the students will already have all the knowledge and muscle memory that they need to be successful at it. Here’s how you do that. First, break the combo down into small skills that have to do with your focus of the day. Our list for the petite allegro combo might look like this:

• Closing in turned out fifth position after glissade
• Brushing with a turned out leg in jeté and glissade
• Landing on a turned out leg in jeté
• Executing pas de boureé with tight, turned-out steps
• Sending the knees over toes in plié

Now, as you create your warm-up, stretch sequence, center, and across-the-floor combos, make sure all of those mini goals are covered. I would make sure to do some degagés that close in plié fifth position to work on the first point at the barre. You could work on landing on a turned out leg by doing fondus that close in fifth. And of course, you can work on knees-over-toes in every plié throughout the class.

This approach gives meaning to each combination and creates a clear connection from the beginning to the end of class. Even if you don’t mention the focus of the day to your students, they’ll be able to tell there’s something specific you want them to work on based on the combinations and your corrections. I recommend telling them the focus of the day, because I’ve observed that students like knowing what the teacher is expecting of them, and they even look forward to knowing what the focus of the day is.

Step 3: Work Out the Timing

This is the part I always struggle with, figuring out how much time to spend on each exercise. Invariably, I end up cutting things in favor of getting to the final combo. It’s a process that I continue to work out for myself, but I have come up with some helpful tips along the way. Hopefully these will help you too!

• It’s always better to have too much planned than not enough.
• Leave at least 10 minutes unplanned. 5 minutes for you giving corrections and 5 minutes to account for things taking longer than expected, the teacher before you running late, etc.
• Don’t forget to take questions into account. You may need to repeat something once or twice if your students aren’t picking it up. But don’t leave time for questions on every combo, or it’ll pad your lesson plan with unfilled time.
• Around recital time, you will inevitably be interrupted by another class wanting to show their recital dance (or your kids asking to). Take that into account or you’ll never get everything done that you want to!
• Make note of what you did and didn’t have time for, so you can revisit it next week.

Now you should have a solid lesson plan that will help your class be successful!

Do you have any tips for creating dance lesson plans? Let me know in the comments!

Photo credit: © Jorge Royan /  http://www.royan.com.ar  /  CC BY-SA 3.0

Post Author: Nicole

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12 Examples of SMART Goals for Dancers

Stepping into the world of dance is exhilarating, and having clear goals can make your journey even more rewarding.

Whether you are a beginner learning your first moves or a seasoned dancer perfecting complex choreography, setting goals can greatly enhance your performance. But how do you ensure these goals are practical?

Enter the SMART method.

In this article, we’ll guide you through SMART goal setting to turn your dance dreams into reality, one step at a time. Prepare to twirl into success as we cover 12 exemplary SMART goals for dancers.

Table of Contents

What is a SMART Goal?

The SMART strategy encourages dancers to set meaningful and effective goals for their dance journey. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based.

Let’s delve into each component of SMART:

If you want tangible results, start by being more explicit about your aim. Instead of merely dreaming or wishing, outlining clear goals for your dance progress can be incredibly motivating.

Dancers who take the initiative to develop specific goals are more likely to achieve long-term success in their dance journey.

Ensuring your goals are measurable is crucial for tracking progress. Instructors might recommend recording video clips of performances or keeping a practice diary to reflect upon your progress.

This allows dancers to monitor their improvements and seek professional guidance before bad habits become ingrained.

Rather than chasing unrealistic dreams, aim for goals grounded in reality. While ambitious goals can fuel motivation , they might lead to disappointment if not managed well. Avoid setting yourself up for failure if you want to reach excellence.

Establishing goals that resonate with your values can be a potent catalyst for success. Not only does it offer direction and motivation, but it also helps you focus on what truly matters to you.

Bridging the gap between your current self and future aspirations makes your goals more significant and relevant. This newfound enthusiasm can propel you forward, even during challenging times.

A concrete timeline gives you a clear endpoint and helps you manage your time effectively to reach the desired outcome. Achieving success doesn’t happen overnight; it requires continued effort and persistence.

1. Strive to Increase Flexibility

“My aim is to increase flexibility to improve my technique and performance. For this purpose, I plan to perform a daily stretching routine for the next 12 weeks. Additionally, I’ll sign up for an advanced dance class to work on poses requiring greater flexibility.”

Specific: This SMART goal is explicit because the dancer has identified activities to boost flexibility.

Measurable: Track the length and intensity of your stretching routine and class attendance to quantify progress.

Attainable: Increasing flexibility is an achievable aim, provided that it is done safely and gradually over time.

Relevant: Flexibility is vital to a dancer’s technique and performance.

Time-based: The expected time frame for this goal statement is 12 weeks.

2. Learn New Dance Styles

“I want to learn two new dance styles in the following 6 months. These styles will be contemporary and hip-hop. I will take classes, practice, and make sure to attend at least one recital for each of the styles.”

Specific: The goal states what two dance styles will be learned and how they will be achieved.

Measurable: Track the number of classes taken, amount of practice time, and recitals attended.

Attainable: Six months should be enough time to learn two new dance styles.

Relevant: This can help you become a more well-rounded dancer and expand your repertoire.

Time-based: There is a 6-month end date for completing this goal.

3. Enhance Core Control and Posture

“Within three months, I want to improve my core control and posture for better dance performance. I’ll do this by taking a weekly Pilates or yoga class, practicing breathing exercises daily, and doing stretching drills twice daily.”

Specific: The individual aims to improve their core control and posture for better dance performance.

Measurable: You will take a weekly Pilates or yoga class, practice breathing exercises daily, and do stretching drills twice daily.

Attainable: This is reachable because the dancer takes concrete steps to build strength through practice and classes.

Relevant: The goal is appropriate because it addresses an essential aspect of dancer performance.

Time-based: It is time-bound because it has a deadline of three months.

4. Boost Your Confidence on Stage

“I’ll strive to complete a series of confidence-building exercises over the next two months. These should include speaking to strangers, practicing self-affirmations, and dancing in front of a mirror.”

Specific: The aim is to tackle a series of exercises that will help you build confidence.

Measurable: Take note of your progress during each session to ensure you’re on track.

Attainable: Any dancer can complete these exercises to practice self-love and confidence.

Relevant: You’ll be taking active steps towards improving the confidence needed for dancing onstage.

Time-based: Expect to gain successful results over the course of two months.

5. Perfect Combinations and Choreography

“I want to create an original combination for a solo performance in three months. I’ll do this by watching instructional videos and participating in classes twice each week.”

Specific: This goal outlines what you need to do (watch educational videos and participate in classes) and how often you need to do it (twice each week).

Measurable: You could track how many instructional videos and classes you’ve watched/participated in.

Attainable: Watching educational videos and attending classes is definitely feasible.

Relevant: Creating new combinations for solo performances will surely develop your skills as a dancer.

Time-based: Goal achievement must be met after the three months ahead.

6. Strengthen Weak Spots in Technique

“For the duration of 5 months, I want to work to refine my technique by attending three master classes taught by professional dancers and seeking feedback from experienced choreographers.”

Specific: This is a well-defined goal because the dancer plans to improve their technique.

Measurable: Evaluate your progress by checking off the boxes after completing each step in the plan.

Attainable: The individual has created a reasonable timeline to improve their technique.

Relevant: A dancer should strive for perfection in their steps and focus on perfecting them with consistent practice.

Time-based: Completion of this SMART goal is anticipated after 5 months.

7. Develop Your Musicality

“I will learn three new choreographies using a variety of music genres by the end of four months. I plan to attend two classes on musicality and ensure that each choreography includes elements from different dance styles.”

Specific: This explains precisely what needs to be accomplished (learning three new choreographies and attending two classes).

Measurable: You can count how many new choreographies and classes you’ve completed.

Attainable: Learning three new choreographies in four months is achievable.

Relevant: Developing your musicality will help you become a more dynamic dancer.

Time-based: Four months are required to achieve success as a dancer.

8. Cultivate an Audience-Friendly Presence

“I will have cultivated an audience-friendly presence when performing by the next recital. To accomplish this, I want to ask for constructive feedback from a coach or mentor to fine-tune my presentation style.”

Specific: You want to improve your stage presence by asking for feedback.

Measurable: Request feedback from a coach or mentor to analyze how to improve your performance.

Attainable: Depending on your current presentation style, this might take some hard work, but it is absolutely achievable.

Relevant: This goal ties in with the overall objective of becoming more audience-friendly.

Time-based: You have until the next recital to meet this particular goal.

9. Build a Social Media Following

“Within the next two months, I want to build an engaged audience on social media. I plan to create engaging content and interact with others in my industry. My target is to have at least 500 followers by the end of this window.”

Specific: The dancer aims to build an engaged audience on social media for two months.

Measurable: The individual wants to have 500 followers by the end of the two months.

Attainable: This is doable since it involves creating engaging content and interacting with others in their industry.

Relevant: This SMART goal is appropriate because it is a valuable way to increase the visibility of your dancing career.

Time-based: You have a two-month window to reach goal attainment.

10. Strengthen Your Endurance

“The dancer will improve their endurance by increasing their dance time from 30 to 45 minutes without taking breaks. They will strive to do 5 minutes of additional dance training each day for the next two months.”

Specific: The dancer has a clear goal to increase their dance time for two months.

Measurable: They must keep track of their extra 5 minutes per day and ensure they do not take any breaks.

Attainable: Increasing the duration by 5 minutes daily is achievable without compromising quality or form.

Relevant: This statement will allow the dancer to strengthen their stamina and help them with their performances.

Time-based: A two-month timeline is set for the dancer to complete the goal.

11. Improve Injury Prevention Skills

“I’ll review the best methods for staying healthy and injury-free while in practice and performance by the end of this month. I will consult with experts to update my knowledge on prevention techniques and create an action plan.”

Specific: Review the ideal methods for staying healthy and injury-free during practice and performances.

Measurable: Determine if the person has consulted with experienced professionals to update their understanding of injury prevention techniques.

Attainable: This SMART goal is achievable if the dancer takes the time to consult with experts and create a well-thought-out plan.

Relevant: Injury prevention is essential for dancers who want to succeed in their art form without risking injury or their health.

Time-based: Success is expected by the end of the month.

12. Take Part in Professional Auditions

“Over the course of four months, I’ll attend a minimum of three professional auditions per month and track my performance in an audition log. This should enable me to gain exposure to the dance industry and build my confidence in performing on stage.”

Specific: The goal is to attend at least three auditions a month, which will help improve performance.

Measurable: It can be tracked by completing the three auditions monthly and keeping an audition log.

Attainable: Attending three professional auditions per month is certainly possible if there are enough opportunities.

Relevant: Taking part in professional auditions is beneficial for networking and building confidence.

Time-based: There is a four-month end date to reach the ideal result.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, setting SMART goals can be instrumental in shaping your dance journey. These goals offer a clear path, bringing you closer to your aspirations.

With specificity, measurability, attainability, relevance, and time-based factors considered, your dance goals become not just dreams but achievable targets.

The 12 examples provided in this article serve as a guide, inspiring you to craft your own SMART goals that align with your unique dance ambitions.

Realize the dance floor is your stage, and with SMART, you can choreograph your success story. Now lace up your dancing shoes and glide towards your goals with determination and passion.

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How to Incorporate Your Dance Experience in Your College Essays

Of the many moving parts of a college application, the essay might be the most daunting. But consider yourself luckier than other applicants, because your dance experiences can only help you craft a winning essay—whether or not you’re planning to pursue a dance major.

If You’re Going to Major

If you’re gunning for a highly focused dance program, you might think that the audition is the most important component of your application. But don’t neglect to express your dance goals clearly in a general admissions or scholarship essay, says Megan Slayter, chair and associate professor of dance at Western Michigan University. “Just like any department across any university, we’re looking for good grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure,” she says. “Beyond strong written communication skills, we’re looking for your sense of identity as a dancer—that you know who you are and who you want to be as an artist, and why you think we can help you achieve that.”

Cite specific aspects of the college’s dance department that excite you—unique artistic or research resources, or a particular emphasis in the dance major that intrigues. But don’t just tell a university what you think they want to hear. “Over-the-top language that compliments our school doesn’t tell me about you,” Slayter says. “I question the authenticity of a student who tells me, ‘This is the best dance department ever and I can’t imagine being anyplace else!'”

If You’re Not Going to Major

Even if you don’t plan to major in dance, your years of dedication in the studio can show an admissions department why you’d be a great addition to their student body. “Your experience in dance has shaped who you are,” Slayter says. “Dance is a unique voice you can share with an admissions officer to talk about overcoming adversity, working hard to achieve your goals, and sharing a part of yourself with others.”

If you choose to focus on dance in your admissions essay, consider who’s reading your words—usually, non-dancers in the admissions department—and take care to translate your dance life to the language of college life. “Dance builds leadership skills, communication, collaboration, and creativity,” Slayter says. “For example, think about any time you’ve had a large, traveling spatial pattern onstage and have had to figure out who’s crossing up- and downstage. That’s problem-solving!” Brainstorm the skills you’ve built onstage and in rehearsals, and use your essay to prove how those experiences have prepared you for a successful college career—in or out of the studio.

A version of this story appeared in the November 2017 issue of Dance Spirit with the title “Essay All Day.”

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8 Invaluable Life Skills Learned Through Dance

by shannondoolingdances | Jan 16, 2019 | Dance Advocacy , For Dance Parents and Families | 2 comments

Dance training is life training

As dancers, we know that what we’ve learned in the studio goes far beyond the steps and choreography.  We know from our own experience that dance can be transformative; that it helps us grow not only as movers and artists, but as individuals and citizens. We learn so many skills through dance, but so often it is dismissed as fluffy, frivolous, or merely something to do for fun.

So the next time someone tries to tell you that you are “just” a dancer (or “just” a dance teacher!), remind them that there is no such thing as “just” when it comes to dance! We learn valuable life skills through dance – skills that have applications extending far beyond the dance studio. Dance training truly is life training, and the skills developed through dance can be applied throughout your life.

How we learn through dance

Babies first experience the world around them through movement: the rooting reflex that tells them to turn their head to find food from a bottle or mom, reaching for a toy, rolling to make their way to something they want. Specific movement patterns, like the Brain Dance , can prime the brain for thinking and improve cognition. Movement predates language as a means of communication, and was a primary way that early peoples expressed themselves and connected to one another. Research like this study from the National Dance Education Organization  and countless others from the field of neuroscience, cognition, and education indicate that dance can help students learn and improve academic performance. Dance can be used to help students learn to think critically, improve social-emotional skills, and develop abilities needed for success in the creative economy.

But perhaps even more importantly, dance training teaching invaluable “life skills” – traits, habits, and abilities that will help students thrive no matter what path they choose in life. These life skills are developed through the process of practicing and refining dance technique, learning and rehearsing choreography, performing or competing on stage, and dealing with the ups and downs, successes and failures, triumphs and disappointments that come with being a dancer. The life skills that students learn through dance training are perhaps the most valuable part of the experience, and make it all worth it in the long run!

Eight invaluable life skills that are learned through dance

Accountability.

As a dancer, you are part of a team working together to present the best possible performance. Whether you are a member of the corps  or the chorus, the prima ballerina or the leading man, a swing or an understudy, you are vital to the success of the production. If you skip rehearsal, phone it in, forget your entrance, or don’t give it all in every run through, the entire team suffers. You learn quickly that others rely on you, and that you are accountable to fulfill your role with humility and hard work.

Personal  Responsibility 

A lot more goes into dance class than one might realize. You need to remember your dancewear and shoes, arrive on time, warm yourself up, remember combinations and choreography, apply corrections from the instructor, follow proper etiquette, and interact with your fellow dancers safely and appropriately. Your dance teachers are there to guide and advise you, but ultimately, it is up to you to set and meet your personal goals. As a dance student, you will quickly learn that you are responsible for your own success in the studio, and you become empowered to make that success as reality.

Persistence

Dancing is hard –  there’s no way around that! You have to work at it, spending hours in the studio perfecting your craft. You must practice simple and mundane elements over and over again before you can move on to the more exciting tricks and choreography. If you try to take shortcuts to success, you will quickly learn that it only leads to frustration, disappointment, or injury. Persistence is the name of the game in dance training!

Cooperation

Even though you spend a lot of time honing your individual skills in the studio, dancing is most often a group activity. In class, you share the space, using your spatial awareness and non-verbal communication skills to make sure that you move safely and allow others to do the same. In rehearsal, you often collaborate with others, working together as a group and with the choreographer to create, manipulate, and embody the artistic vision. In performance, you dance with your partner or the ensemble, working to create a sense of unity on stage. While legendary stories about famous performers’ egos abound, the truth is most dancers learn quickly that cooperation is key to their own success in the industry.

Creativity 

We live in a creative economy. The ability to innovate, think outside the box, and approach problems in creative ways is valued in every field, now more than ever. Dance allows for creativity on multiple levels, whether it is personal self-expression through improvisation , creating your own choreography , or embodying another’s choreographic vision as a dancer. Steve Jobs even credits his creative successes in part to his experience with modern dance, stating, “I didn’t realize how much I learned about movement and perception from the class until a few years later, when I worked at Atari. I was able to relate how much resolution of movement you need in terms of perceiving things in certain ways for video games”.

Flexibility 

Obviously, as a dancer you need to be physically flexible. But dancers need to be flexible in other ways, as well. You need to adapt when changes in the choreography are made right up until opening night. You need to be able to balance the viewpoints of different teachers, who might teach the same technique in radically different ways. You need to be able to handle disappointment and frustration with grace. The emotional, social, and cognitive flexibility needed to be a dancer are almost more important than the physical.

Attention to Detail 

Dance is all about the details. The initiation of a movement, the tilt of the head in epaulment , and split second adjutants in timing all play a pivotal role in successful execution of dance technique and choreography. As a dancer, you are trained to observe with your eyes, ears, and kinesthetic sense. You learn to pick up the rhythmic patterns in your teacher’s voice. You learn to spot minuscule changes in height of a leg or the angle of an arm. You learn to feel the minute weight changes that make all the difference between a good balance and a great one.

If there is one word NOT to use to describe a dancer, it is apathetic. As a dancer, you care passionately about your art. You sacrifice for it. You devote time, energy, resources – everything you’ve got. You are inspired, and you strive to inspire others. Isn’t passion what the world needs most right now? The problems facing societies around the world require passionate individuals who know what it means to devote themselves to a cause. And dancers, in my opinion, do that better than anyone else!

What life skills have you learned through dance, and how do you apply the skills learned through dance outside of the dance studio? Let me know in the comments! 

Visit my Resources  page for tools that support a holistic teaching practice. Keep in touch by signing up for my quarterly newsletter , or join me on Facebook at The Holistic Dance Teacher .

Just want to say how right you are . I tell people similar things on this very subject. I also encourage all athletes to take up ballet. I too come from this mold and it has made me a much better human being. Thank you for posting. Reading this felt good.

Thank you for the kind comment! It is up to all of us to advocate for and educate about the benefits of dance education!

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How Do You Succeed in Dance? 33 Industry Leaders Weigh In

What does it take to “make it” in dance? It’s no secret that turning this passion into a profession can be a struggle. In such a competitive field, talent alone isn’t enough to get you where you want to be.

So what kinds of steps can you take to become successful? Dance Magazine spoke to 33 people from all corners of the industry to get their advice on the lessons that could help us all, no matter where we are in our careers.

Lesson 1: Ask yourself why you dance, and make sure the answer is, “Because I love it.”

“The stage is transparent. Some people go out onstage and they have so much life because they love what they do. Other people just do tricks. Someone might give great performances, and the audience might think, Oh, that’s very nice, but it doesn’t change them. They were just watching someone who wanted to be the center of attention, not an artist who was dying to dance.” —Paloma Herrera, artistic director of Teatro Colón’s ballet company

Lesson 2: Learn about the culture of every style you study.

“Have the same respect for the culture of locking, for instance, as you would for pointe work. Understanding the history will open up your storytelling abilities and make you look more natural because you’ll ‘get’ where it comes from, not just what it is.” —Luam, hip-hop choreographer, director and master teacher

Lesson 3: Don’t get hung up on talent.

“Statistically, less physically gifted dancers are more successful. A talented dancer gets everything easier, gets used to this and stops exerting. The greatest mistake dancers make is too much self-assurance.” —Yuri Fateyev, acting director of the Mariinsky Ballet

Lesson 4: Value all improvement.

“Don’t dismiss small improvements just because they don’t fulfill the image of your larger-scale goals. Improvement can be a change in quality, facility, adaptation or efficiency. A change can be tiny, incremental. Acknowledging an improvement makes the difference between leaving the studio that day with a success or with a failure—and this can set the tone by which we live our lives.” —Ami Shulman, rehearsal director for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani and certified Feldenkrais practitioner

Lesson 5: Don’t work hard, work smart.

“A lot of young artists practice by just repeating and repeating the same material, thinking it will get better. But sometimes you have to pause and think about why you’re doing the movement, or why it doesn’t work. Stick with it, but try a different way.” —PeiJu Chien-Pott, principal with the Martha Graham Dance Company

Lesson 6: Value your choices more than your body or ability

“How your body looks or how well you execute movements does not determine who you are. If your feelings about yourself rise and fall with your weight or how high you jump, then you will feel anxious and depressed. But if your self-esteem is based on your actions and behaviors, then you can consistently feel good about yourself.” —Nadine Kaslow, a clinical psychologist who works with Atlanta Ballet

Lesson 7: Share yourself, not just what you can do.

“What’s interesting is who you are, not how many turns you can do or how you can distort your body. Dancers today are challenged constantly by that very passing flashiness. Like a jewel dangling in front of you, sparkling. But stars glow, they do not sparkle. Sparkles can disappear.” —Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Lesson 8: Don’t ignore directions just so you can show off.

“In the audition room when the choreographer is like, ‘Okay, give me a double pirouette—clean, please,’ we’ll get young hotshots giving us a triple or a quadruple. They want to sex it up a little bit, when in fact what’s being asked for is very clear, very succinct. If you show off, it can quite often work against your favor.” —Duncan Stewart, Broadway casting director at Stewart/Whitley

Lesson 9: Ask for advice—and the opportunities you want.

“No one in the dance world has ever said no when I’ve asked for advice. Pick up the phone or meet face-to-face and ask questions. If you want to dance in a certain company or project, ask. Sometimes luck just occurs, and sometimes luck is made because you are vigilant in your pleasant, kind assertiveness. Make yourself available for opportunities. And make your own opportunities.” —David Dorfman, artistic director, college professor, Broadway and postmodern choreographer

Lesson 10: Value the small roles.

“Dancers today too often want everything now. To that, I say, ‘Wait your turn, stick it out, gather the experience and commit to the company.’ Patience develops dancers.” —Barbara Bears, ballet master at Houston Ballet

Lesson 11: Know when to quit.

“If you’re not getting challenged in a big company, investigate why. Where is your dancing lacking? Where is your work ethic lacking? If you can’t seem to move forward, look into other companies. Go back to what it means to bend your body, to bend your knees, to move in space. You’ll be able to breathe through those moments of difficulty.” —Ashley Tuttle, master ballet teacher

Lesson 12: Remember that even stars are part of a team.

“This is a collaborative art form. Successful dance artists see themselves as part of a whole. They may be the star, but they remain aware that there’s an entire corps de ballet behind them, and a conductor in the pit carefully keeping the music at the right tempo, and someone who will stay late and do all the laundry for the next day. Anytime there’s a mishap onstage, we all have to band together and coordinate the best, most subtle solution possible, ideally without the audience knowing anything was wrong. Sometimes I feel like we’re a pod of dolphins—we communicate very simply and effectively, sometimes just with our eyes or a whisper. We find a way to fix it, then move along as if nothing happened. The stronger the team, the better the company.” —Kelly Brown, production stage manager at Miami City Ballet

Lesson 13: Hire experts.

“Do not be, as one lawyer told me, ‘penny wise and pound foolish.’ When you have an opportunity to be paid for your craft, especially when it comes to commercial partnerships with brands and products, find a good entertainment lawyer or agent to help you navigate the contract. It’ll cost you 5 to 15 percent of the overall fee, but is very worth it. They’ll make sure you’re not giving away rights to your image and likeness indefinitely or for longer than the value of your compensation. You’ll avoid being unfairly locked into category exclusivity. The details are truly in the fine print.” —Gilda Squire, founder of Squire Media & Management, Inc., and manager to Misty Copeland and others

Lesson 14: Be insatiable.

“When you see artists who are dancing into their 50s, ask, ‘What is it that has brought them to this moment?’ When you think of Alessandra Ferri, Wendy Whelan, Sylvie Guillem, Mikhail Baryshnikov—they’re incredibly gifted, versatile artists, but there is a drive that is innate.” —Jodie Gates, vice dean and director of USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance

Lesson 15: Get some distance.

“I was getting burned out dancing and being on the road so much with Batsheva, and decided to spend nine months at a Buddhist monastery in Nova Scotia. There was a scary feeling of space that opened up by cutting the momentum of my dancing life. I became aware of how much I defined myself as a dancer, and held that as a proof of my self-worth. I had thought I wasn’t one of those ‘crazy dancers’ who prioritizes being a dancer over being a person. Now I feel less afraid to drop dancing and that identity entirely, which allows me to continue, and more fully, because my grip on it is more relaxed. Any time I have stepped away, I have come back with more than I left with.” —Doug Letheren, dancer with Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch

Lesson 16: Don’t trust the trends.

“Don’t get lost in what is ‘cool,’ even when you see the pros doing it. Trends like no ballet slippers or dressing like you’re at a gym can make anyone watching think less of you, and you never know who is going to walk in. Even I put myself into a unitard and skirt to teach class because I feel and think more like dancer when I am dressed like one.” — Nancy Bielski, master ballet teacher at Steps on Broadway

Lesson 17: Save money to buy yourself freedom.

“Save enough for three to sixth months. Start by putting a little bit aside. I have the bank do it automatically, so it slowly drips into a savings account. That cushion is going to make it okay for you to not take the crappy gig you don’t want but to hold out for the job that you do.” — Jessica Scheitler, enrolled agent, owner of Financial Groove

Lesson 18: Keep exploring.

“The dancers I’ve watched succeed haven’t been afraid to reinvent themselves, either across topic or scale. Consider how your practice works across platforms—corporate and not, nonprofit and not, on Broadway but also at a place like The Joyce.” —Marc Bamuthi Joseph, vice president and artistic director of social impact at the Kennedy Center

Lesson 19: Don’t cross your legs when you sit.

“Considering the frequency of total hip replacements in dancers these days, you should refrain from sitting with your legs crossed. This position adds stress to the lumbar spine and the hip joints. It compresses the nerves and blood supply to the lower extremities, and it inhibits the abdominal muscles from activity, making them insufficient to stabilize your spine.” —Marika Molnar, physical therapist and founder of Westside Dance Physical Therapy in New York City

Lesson 20: Treat rehearsals like more than practice.

“Rehearsals are not just about preparing for some future event. They are the present, too. So how we engage with each other, and how we literally live together in the hours and hours we have making a thing together, well, that matters. Once I figured that out, my attitude about time changed, as did the actual outcomes of the dances themselves.” —Liz Lerman, choreographer and educator

Lesson 21: Before a premiere, get an outside eye on your work.

“Ask someone else to interrogate your work. Ask, ‘What do you see? What came through?’ And then compare those answers to what you want to come through. I often feel like I’m seeing work that needs another 10 to 15 percent, that you almost got to the finish line but you didn’t look at it with a bit of distance.” —Aaron Mattocks, director of programming at The Joyce Theater

Lesson 22: Don’t be afraid to start over.

“It’s always hard to know how an idea will manifest. Sometimes the reality of that idea is not right for the situation. If an idea just needs to be thrown away, that can sometimes be an incredible gift, to basically start over.” —Reid Bartelme, costume designer

Lesson 23: Question bad reviews.

“We’re human beings. It’s very painful to be rejected, especially publicly. But sometimes people don’t understand what you’re doing. Know, ‘Is this something that I can actually learn from, or is it just that the person didn’t see what I was going for?’ Then that first feeling of hurt starts turning into curiosity.” —Meredith Monk, director/choreographer/composer

Lesson 24: Don’t let others’ opinions change you.

“ Do not get in anyone else’s box, because you will be miserable. Do what inspires you and then you will create inspired work.” —Chloe Arnold, tap choreographer and dancer

Lesson 25: Know that what “success” means to you will change over time.

“At the beginning, for me, success was external: It was about opportunities to create work. And also, the ‘right’ people wanting to have work of mine. The bigger the company, the better. If it was a ballet company, maybe that was better than a modern company. And what critics said about the work. And having more opportunities for my company to tour. What success means for me now is, How much joy and pleasure am I able to derive from the process of making the dance? The other stuff is maybe a part of it still—that’s the business—but the real success is that I love what I’m doing while I’m doing it.” —Donald Byrd, choreographer and artistic director of Spectrum Dance Theater

Lesson 26: Establish your network.

“Even if you are a solo practitioner, the collaborative elements to dance are really huge. You have a production crew, somebody who’s going to help with marketing, you have to be talking to presenters. All of that stuff can cost money, but maybe you figure out how, even in school, you start partnering with each other. Locating your network is invaluable, because it’s going to give you resources in the way of real, practical, logistical things that you need: how to write press releases, how to figure out music rights. Those networks provide you with a sense of community and emotional support.” — Carla Peterson, director of Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University

Lesson 27: Learn the business of putting on a show.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve looked at companies and said, ‘Gee, I’d love to put that on our stage,’ but they don’t have the first concept of how to get their lighting and tech done. There are theaters with stagehands’ unions that if you don’t follow the work rules, the costs soar into the thousands. You need a company manager who can corral everybody about tickets, when people come and go and what they’re supposed to be doing if there are outreach activities. All of that is a strong consideration for us when looking at companies to present.” — Randy Swartz, artistic director of Philadelphia presenting organization NextMove Dance

Lesson 28: Invest in finding investors.

“Before you get a publicist, get a development director. Accept the fact that money can improve the status of a company—it can’t buy creativity, but it can hire talented dancers, it can raise the profile of a company. You may not have the money right now, but there are ways to get the money.” — Richard Kornberg, New York dance and theater publicist

Lesson 29: Get at least 10 hours a week of admin help.

“Our research has shown that having someone work on the administrative aspects of your business for even just 10 hours per week will impact the strength and longevity of your artistic career.” —Mara Greenberg, director of Pentacle

Lesson 30: Never stop learning.

“The world is changing so quickly. The things that someone starting out right now will have to work on throughout their career, those problems haven’t been invented yet. Consume a lot of different perspectives from outside of the dance and cultural sector; figure out who has built the wheel and see what pieces work.” —Tim Cynova, CEO of Fractured Atlas

Lesson 31: Quit the cycle of doubt.

“It is easy to imagine that everyone else knows some secret that you don’t, or that you can’t be successful because you are not ‘the one.’ Believe in your possibility. Moving forward with unfettered drive because we understand that we can achieve makes it possible to spend our energy on building a path, a talent, a network, instead of the defeating depletion that comes from doubt.” —Trey McIntyre, freelance choreographer/filmmaker/photographer

Lesson 32: Stop trying to “succeed.”

“If you’re getting into this field, part of what you’re doing is recalibrating basic ideas about how the world is supposed to be. You owe it to yourself to live in a way that doesn’t look like what Mom and Dad think a successful life looks like. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of heartache. You’re not going to appreciate what is happening if you think success equals ______. We often have to not get what we want over and over again before we realize that.” —Miguel Gutierrez, experimental choreographer

Lesson 33: Fail.

“What’s that famous saying? ‘Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.’ Just keep failing with enthusiasm, and you’ll be successful.” —Raja Feather Kelly, artistic director, experimental choreographer and dancer

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153 Dance Topics & Essay Examples

Whether you’re writing about the importance of dance, modern choreography, or weight loss benefits of dancing as a hobby, we can help. In this article, our team came up with some ideas of what to cover in your paper.

🏆 Best Dance Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

✅ most interesting dance topics to write about, 📑 good research topics about dance, ⭐ dance topics to talk about in your paper, 📌 simple & easy dance titles for essay, ❓ dance essay topics and questions.

• Benefits of Dancing Essay Dance is an art that refers to the movement of part of the body, some of the parts or the whole body while keeping rhythmical to music.
• Exploring Relationship in Raymond Carver’s “Why Don’t You Dance?” In the story, the author juxtaposes the young couple with the man to highlight the solitary existence of the latter. In contrast to the man, the boy and the girl feel as the people around […]
• What Is Dance: Definition and Genres Jazz dancing is a unique dance as it consists of dancers interpreting steps as well as moves in their own way.
• Dance Elements in “Swan Lake” and “Night Journey” Ballets One of the most famous ballet scenes in Swan Lake is the dance of little swans. In terms of choreography and music, it is a good example of art, since each of the three central […]
• Garba Dance, Its History and Specifics: A Traditional Indian Dance The inhabitants of the state believe that the dance dates back to the ancient times of Krishna. I have seen the live performance of Garba at a Navratri festival; both the dance and music were […]
• Dance and Mathematics Relationship Choreographers, in teaching dance techniques, can use knowledge of mathematics, the knowledge is also used to arrange dancers on the stage and control their movements.
• History and Development of Dance The art of dancing was connected by Greeks to the idea of harmony and perfection of human body: therefore, dancing ultimately had to be graceful in order to emphasize and not to destroy the natural […]
• “And the Soul Shall Dance” by Wakako Yamauchi and “Silent Dancing” by Judith Ortiz Cofer: Significance of Dancing as Theme There is only one “dancing” character in Yamauchi’s literary work and though the woman is not the protagonist of the short story, the theme of dancing becomes a central one due to the strength and […]
• Hip Hop Dance The TV shows such as the Wild style, Soul Train and Breakin, Beat Street also contributed in showcasing hip hop dance styles during the early periods of hip hop hype.
• Dance Analysis: Social and Cultural Context A study of dance involves connection of ideas between the past and the present with an aim of improving the quality of performance in regards to other social practices that arise from cultural beliefs.
• “Shall We Dance”: Movie Analysis This leads a person to hide their actions and lead a life of secrecy which is uncomfortable to the individual and people that are around.
• The Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) Sculpture In the sculpture, Shiva is dancing within a halo of flame, in his right hand holding the damaru, which is a hand drum that made the first sounds of creation, and the agni in his […]
• “The Dance Class” Painting by Edgar Degas In addition to properly chosen techniques and materials, the artist was able to create a story with the past, the present, and the future.
• “Dance of the Dead” by Richard Matheson Although the story mostly belongs to the science fiction genre, its central scene is focused on horror, and more specifically, the horror of the unknown that is emblematic of the dark fantasy genre according to […]
• The Ritual Dance Important Elements On the outside, the ritual dance has all the same elements the other types do: the costumes, the music, the patterns are generally recognizable.
• History of Samba in Brazilian Society: A Traditional Brazilian Dance The word samba is derived from the Angolan word “semba” which means the movement of the body which is described as the act of thrusting forward the body and which requires the contact of the […]
• Impact of the Dance as Education The importance is great for every human being to acquire the vital skills which one will be able to carry through one’s entire life, the skills which will enrich the person’s life and will add […]
• Jazz Dance and Its Techniques The modern and ballet dance styles can be also applied to jazz, as the kind of popular dance styles involves a wide range of dance elements.
• Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self With the help of her essay, Walker is able to write her own autobiography of her early years of life. Towards the end of her essay, it is evident that she is a successful woman […]
• Capoeira Dance History and Popularity This paper discusses the history of capoeira, how people relate to it in Brazil, where it went after the end of slavery in Brazil and its popularity worldwide.
• Traditional Chinese Lion Dance and Its Styles The first performer adorns the head of the lion and the other moves the body of the lion. The Japanese Lion Dance is used in traditional and religious festivals.
• Jazz Social Dance and Impact on American Culture Jazz is one of the common music genres that define the culture and racial history of the United States. Additionally, the nature of jazz dance was a new opportunity for African Americans to describe the […]
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Its History Alvin Ailey is an American dancer and choreographer, the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, who made a significant contribution to the popularization of modern dance and the emergence of black dancers on […]
• The Grass Dance Cultural Importance Historians believe that the Grass Dance emerged during the early years of The Reservation Period among the warrior societies. This explains that the movement of the dance was meaningful to the natives.
• Modern Dance by Jiri Kylian On the whole, analyzing the first part of the ballet from the beginning, we have to point out the appropriateness of the absence of sound accompaniment, which leads the onlooker to concentrate on the pattern […]
• Dance Writing in Creative and Studying Processes Eventually, the writing did not only feed the creative process but later on was used as an element of the performance, enhancing the experience of spectators, possibly developing more new treatments for the dance and […]
• “The World of Dance” Event As we have already stated, the World of Dance is a unique event in the sphere of art that tries to attract the attention of people across the world.
• Indian Culture: Dances of Rajasthan Diwali is one of the major festivals in the country. Ghoomar dance is also common in the region.
• Flamenco Dance and History of Passion Whenever people think of Spain and the Spanish culture, the first thing that comes to their mind is flamenco the dance of passion and the only way to express the nature of a Spaniard, the […]
• Feminist Films: “Stella Dallas” and “Dance Girl, Dance” In my opinion, the film’s main idea is the relations between the mother and the daughter. In other words, I would like to point out that it is a female subjectivity, which is recognized to […]
• Modern Dance in the United States At the beginning of the XX century, American choreographers and dancers contributed to the development of modern dance by adding their ideas and techniques.
• Nostalgic Feeling Among Asylee Immigrants: The Role of Dance The broad phenomenon of acculturation as a process of adjusting one’s values, beliefs, and habits according to the socio-cultural environment of an individual is an extremely complex social issue.
• Argentine Tango Dance for Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study Hence, over the course of this study, the authors evaluated the effect of the adapted Argentine Tango on the cancer patient’s neurological function.
• The “Bellyache” Dance by Billie Eilish The most identified element of the dance is space and energy, while time is the minor element the audience can recognize. One of the components of dance is time, which dance choreography and performance both […]
• Performance Art: Dance Concept It is recommended to resort to performance art to make the gallery attractive to people and demonstrate its relevance in the modern world.
• Creative Destruction and the Virtual Studio of Sydney Dance Company From his perspective, industrial mutations occur in the form of the revolutionization of economic structures, the destruction of older ways of doing things, and the emergence of the replacing practices or products.
• A Generational Dance: How Parents and Kids Relate In summation, it is vital to note that the well-being and development of a child depend on the wholesome relations with their parents.
• Anna Pavlova and Dance Culture in the United States The dance originated from a variety of movements and gestures associated with the processes of activity and emotional impressions of a person from the world around him.
• Poi Dance as Cultural Performance The theme of this dance is the traditional culture of the Maori people, in particular the expression of joy and gratitude.
• Interpretive Dance and Costume Design in Enhancing Music and Plays The ballet dancer’s frequent moves increase the intensity of the song’s message with every rhyme and beat as the song proceeds.
• Belly Dance: Rewarding Activity and an Art Form The dance emphasizes the individuality of a woman, it is believed that each dancer puts a story into the dance – from the rituals of birth to the dances of the priests of the Goddess.
• African Dance Taught by Rujeko Dumbutshena In this dance class, from a series by the Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning, Rujeko Dumbutshena teaches how to use the concept of dancing on the clock to learn African Dance.
• “Shiva as Lord of Dance” (ca. 11th Century): Norton Simon Museum It is evident that the emphasis in the sculpture is put on Shiva, acting as a focal point of the piece. The sculpture of “Shiva as Lord of Dance” emphasizes the complexity of layers the […]
• The Ghost Dance Movement and Its Emergence To conclude, the Ghost Dance was a movement that accumulated the various aspects of American Indians living in the 19th century and delivered their cry for justice and salvation.
• Flamingo or Flamenco Dance This is a very expressive dance in nature and it involves movement of the whole body but more specifically the hands in such a way that the audience can follow and understand the whole dance.
• Case Analysis Article “Shall We Dance?” They both agree on the idea of targeting the boomers because of the role they play in the economy of Canada.
• Flamenco Music and Dance History: Spanish Carte-De-Visite Born in Andalusia The dance is much spread in the world and is considered to be a part of human civilization’s heritage by UNESCO.
• Loïe Fuller: An American Dancer and Actor Fuller recalls that she invented her serpentine dance during her rehearsal for the part in the play. Even when Fuller came to Paris, she met there a young woman who copied her style, and she […]
• The Salsa: Music and Dance Review In the dance perspective, it refers to a dance that tries to communicate the beats found in the salsa music. All these are in an effort to spice up the salsa dance and music.
• Dance in the African Diaspora: History and Effects The dances the slaves performed were distinct in that they were against the culture of the slave owners and yet they were blended in with the culture of the slave owners.
• Classical Dance: Term Definition In Plutarch’s work, when Theseus and the other Athenian youths escape from the Minotaur, they participate in a dance of celebration.”The dances of the ancient times are characterized as dances of war or dances of […]
• History of Capoeira in the Brazilian Community: Social Dance and Form of Martial Arts Some of the historical implications of the capoeira include: originally this art was practiced by the underclasses in the Brazilian community. The middle class accepted the art and this led to the unification of the […]
• Space in Dance Theatre Employing space, a choreographer has an opportunity to establish a connection between the spectators and the performers, thus influencing the perception of the show and emphasizing the core ideas.
• Artists in Jazz Music and Dance Development The core areas in this study will include; the presentation, the ensemble, the musical instruments, and the memories of the events.
• Art, Dance, Nutrition Studies and Their Benefits For architectures to come up with great masterpieces they have to combine the mechanics of construction and the creativity of Art.
• “The Power of Myth” and “Lord of the Dance” Films The setting of the dance when the movie starts is a church and the dancing troupe is led by a clergy this gives the dance a religious association.
• Ballet Pas De Deux: Dance and Architecture Exhibition The theory of choreology is concerned with the elaboration of the connection between the conscious expression of movement patterns in dance and the principles that guide those movements.
• Ballet and Jazz Dance: Styles Description The form and line used in ballet dance underline the stage performance and make sure that the main and secondary performers each have their place. The forms and rhythm in jazz dance reflect the people’s […]
• Dance and Architecture in “Ballet Pas de Deux” Exhibition Therefore, dance and architecture are related due to the fact that both of them utilize space as a ground in which creativity is embodied.
• Beyond Description: Writing Beneath the Surface According to Jowitt, in order to describe a dance properly the writer is to possess a variety of different skills allowing them to select appropriate metaphors, apply correct judgment, draw clever comparisons, and present dance […]
• The Royal Ballet Dance in Covent Garden The event was staged by the house of Royal Oprah with mysterious, exciting, and arduous ballet dance broadcast to the audience.
• Lindy Hop Dance: Development, Events, Figures Besides, all the aspects of this dance are going to be taken into consideration the movements, the music, and its origin, dressing styles of the performers throughout the years, public perception of this form of […]
• Alvin Ailey’ and Alexander Pushkin’ Views on the Modern Dance In particular, he greatly contributed to the popularization of the so-called modern dance which was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century.
• The Culture of Electronic Dance Music In a bid to realize its aim, the paper discusses the relationship between attending EDM events and the rationality that leads to the consumption of illicit drugs such as ecstasy.
• The CSN Fall Dance Concert Even if a person is informed about some details of the dance concert and the guests, who are going to participate, it is hard to cope with the emotions and attitudes to everything that can […]
• Ghost Dance Religious Movement The circle dance formed the belief systems of the Native Americans and was later given the name the ghost dance. Jack Wilson also known as Wovoka by the Paiute people, was the founder of the […]
• Contemporary Dance: Continuity and Inimitability The study is based on observation of literature sources devoted to contemporary dance and our observation of works of contemporary dance, live and on the video.
• Dancer Alvin Ailey: Techniques and Artistic Choices Alvin Ailey was able to merge dancing techniques which previously seemed to be completely incompatible with one another, and it is one of the major achievements in the history of choreography because such artistic choices […]
• Dance: Alonzo King Lines Ballet Choreography is one of the strongest aspects of the performance. The entire attention is drawn to the dancers and the dance.
• Chicano Folklore: Mexican Folk Dance Some musicians have also supported this subgenre in different parts of the world. This genre also portrays the realities and experiences of many Mexican Americans in the country.
• The Dance Video “Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake 2” The choreographer has also selected the best styles for the dance. This is successful because of the lyrical and comic aspect of the dance.
• Moon – Solo Dance by Yang LiPing It could be defined as a large stage ethnic primitive genre if it was not for the complexity of the hidden innuendoes that the interpretation of the dance suggests.
• Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture Our family has a unique connection to the dance and music, and how it was used in the family and in social settings.
• Lord of Dance This paper looks at the relevance of the image of Shiva to the Hindu culture, and the disparity between its presence in a temple and display in a museum of art, away from the culture […]
• The Way of Geisha Dance The way of Geisha dance demonstrates to us the importance of maiko in the traditional Japanese culture. The dance is crucial to the lives of many Japanese women.
• Dance Education and Culture The important elements under discussion for all the dance styles analyzed include, the progression, the uniqueness in steps and the relevance of the knowledge gained to the student.
• Miami Dance Project for Autistic Children For me, what the Miami dance project represents is in line with what is known as the concept of confidence building wherein through the development of certain talents children with autism will begin to have […]
• Role of Advertising in Launching a New Dance School In order to launch a new dance school in the US, it would be necessary to analyze the market. Since its establishment in 1905, the institution has managed to offer training services to over 800 […]
• The Tangs Dancing Business The Tangs spent most of their time running their business as a result, they have no time to refine and polish their sales pitch.
• The Taxi Driver and the Dance With Wolves Films In the film Dance with Wolves, the director seems to be unable to convey the poetry and philosophical inclinations of the colonial masters and the natives of India.
• Survey of Contemporary Dances The aim of this report is to present and interpret the results of the survey on the attitude of people to contemporary dances.
• Arts Education: Music, Dance and Theatre They will be able to identify the role of “telephones” and “telephone” operators in their society. According to Moser and McKay, it is critical for the students to learn how to determine the type and […]
• The Cosmic Dance of Siva Conclusively, the aspect on sex as an element, which contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs lacks enough support to qualify as a fact. Therefore, due to the lack of tangible evidence and a testable hypothesis […]
• Ritual and Philippine Folk Dance
• Dance Therapy for Down Syndrome Effects and Improvements
• Dance and Movement Therapy in Cancer Care
• The Differences Between Real Music and Electronic Dance Music
• Capoeira Brazillian Dance: Martial Art
• Classical Ballet and Modern Dance
• American Music and Culture: Jazz Dance
• American History: Indian Tribes and Ghost Dance
• Dance Movements and Enhance Song Learning in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants
• The Difference Between Lyrical Dance and Ballet
• Dance and Fitness Concepts for the Physically Impaired
• Beauty That Moves: Dance for Parkinson’s Effects, Self-Efficacy, Gait Symmetry, and Dual-Task Performance
• Hypnotic Dance Music
• Dances and Different Styles in Dance Groups
• The Positive and Negative Effects of Dance on the Body
• Art Forms: Painting, Music, Theater, and Dance
• Different Cultural Beliefs About Dance
• Dance and Architecture: Spatiality and Orientation
• Irish Folk and Dance Music – History and Role
• Bollywood Dance Movies and Indian American Identity Formation
• History, Role, and Origin of Merengue Dance
• Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches
• The Dancing Brain: Structural and Functional Signatures of Expert Dance Training
• Street Dance: Frolic Progress Towards Unity Amidst Diversity
• Music, Theater, and Dance: From the Inside Out
• Ballet and Modern Dance: A Revolution Between Traditional and Modern Style
• Modern Dance and Gender Relations
• African American Dance Style
• Abstracting Dance: Detaching Ourselves From the Habitual Perception of the Moving Body
• Hip Hop Dance and the Entertainment Industry
• Relationship Between Electronic Dance Music and Drug Use Among Youth
• Honeybee Linguistics Comparative Analysis of the Waggle Dance Among Species of Apis
• The Lakota Sun Dance: An Overview of the Interconnectivity With All Aspects of Lakota Culture and the Changes Incurred During the Reservation Period
• Dance and Body Expression in the Video Dance and the Real World
• Dance Teaching Philosophies
• Pride and Prejudice: The Function of Dance
• Dance, Music, Meter, and Groove: A Forgotten Partnership
• Cause and Effect: Learning to Dance
• The Origin and History of Dance
• Creek and Cherokee Tribes and Traditional Southeastern Dance Decline
• Can Dance Inspire Change in the Society?
• How Does Culture Relate to Dance?
• How Does the Environment Affect the Viewing of the Dance?
• Will Pole Dance Future Olympic Sport?
• Why Is Dance Important to the Culture?
• How Is Electronic Dance Music Taking Over the World?
• How Is Dance Dance Revolution Getting Kids off the Couch?
• What Was the First Type of Dance?
• How Is Dance Used Today in Our Culture?
• What Are the Benefits of Dance in Mental and Emotional?
• How Can Dancing Improve Your Life and Health?
• How Does Dance Reflect Life?
• What Impact Does the Mass Media Have On the Perception of Dance on Society?
• Does the Waggle Dance Help Honey Bees for Longer Distances Than Expected for Their Body Size?
• How Has Dance Changed?
• How Has the Recent Financial Recession Affected the Arts & Dance Industry?
• When Did Dance First Start?
• Can Dance Change the World?
• How Swing Dance and Jazz Music Impacted America?
• Why Ecstasy Associated With Dance Music?
• How Dance Reflects Culture?
• How Does Ballet Relate to Dance?
• Can Dance Help to Express Emotions?
• How Does Dance Reflect Society?
• How Can Dance Inspire Change?
• How Can Dance Inspire Social or Political Change?
• Why Are Dance Lessons Good for Heart?
• How Can Music Make Us Get Up and Dance?
• How Is Ballet Different From Other Dances?
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Essay on Dance

500 words essay on dance.

Dancer refers to a series of set of movement to music which we can either do alone or with a partner. Dancing helps us express our feelings and get active as well. If we look back at history, dance has been a part of our human history since the earliest records. Thus, an essay on dance will take us through it in detail.

My Hobby My Passion

Dance is my favourite hobby and I enjoy dancing a lot. I started dancing when I was five years old and when I got older; my parents enrolled me in dance classes to pursue this passion.

I cannot go a day without dance, that’s how much I love dancing. I tried many dance forms but discovered that I am most comfortable in Indian classical dance. Thus, I am learning Kathak from my dance teacher.

I aspire to become a renowned Kathak dancer so that I can represent this classical dance internationally. Dancing makes me feel happy and relaxed, thus I love to dance. I always participate in dance competitions at my school and have even won a few.

Dance became my passion from an early age. Listening to the beats of a dance number, I started to tap my feet and my parents recognized my talent for dance. Even when I am sad, I put on music to dance to vent out my feelings.

Thus, dance has been very therapeutic for me as well. In other words, it is not only an escape from the world but also a therapy for me.

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Hidden Language of the Soul

Dance is also called the hidden language of the soul as we use it to express ourselves when words fall short. The joy which comes with dancing helps us get over our sorrow and adversity sometimes.

Moreover, it is simply a translator for our hearts. What is most important to remember is that dance is not supposed to be perfect. There is no right way of dancing, as long as your heart is happy, you can dance.

When we talk about dance, usually a professional dancer comes to our mind. But, this is where we go wrong. Dance is for anybody and everybody from a ballet dancer to the uncle dancing at a wedding .

It is what unites us and helps us come together to celebrate joy and express our feelings. Therefore, we must all dance without worrying if we are doing it right or not. It is essential to understand that when you let go of yourself in dance, you truly enjoy it only then.

Conclusion of the Essay on Dance

All in all, dance is something which anyone can do. There is no right way or wrong way to dance, there is just a dance. The only hard part is taking the first step, after that, everything becomes easier. So, we must always dance our heart out and let our body move to the rhythm of music freely.

FAQ of Essay on Dance

Question 1: Why is Dance important?

Answer 1: Dance teaches us the significance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a selection of disciplines. It helps us learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions. Moreover, it is a great activity to pursue at almost any age.

Question 2: What is dancing for you?

Answer 2: Dancing can enhance our muscle tone, strength, endurance and fitness. In addition, it is also a great way to meet new friends. Most importantly, it brings happiness to us and helps us relax and take a break from the monotony of life.

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Translating Your Ballet Experience Into a Meaningful College Admissions Essay

If you’re hoping to major or minor in dance, crafting a stellar college application essay is an important part of that journey. But how can you write about your passion for ballet in a way that is meaningful to college admissions professionals—many of whom may not be dancers or artists themselves? First, recognize that “you are different in a good way,” says Brock Snyder, associate dean of high school academic programs at University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “As a trained dancer, you have a piece of the puzzle that a lot of high-schoolers don’t have. Applying to colleges is not the time to be modest.”

Here are some other tips to help you set your essay apart.  

1. Know Why the Essay Matters

Have you been honing your technique and artistry to prepare for dance department auditions? At some schools, you must be admitted to the college or university as a whole before you can audition to join the dance program or be considered for dance scholarships. That means that the essay, as part of your primary application package, carries a lot of weight.

How much weight, exactly? “It used to be that GPA mattered most, then test scores, and the essay would rank third or even fourth, after teacher recommendations,” says Snyder, who has been counseling prospective college students for 17 years, and high school dance students for 14 years. “Now, I’d say the essay is number two. That’s why it’s so important to put a lot of thought and care into it.”

“There are two main things we look for in an essay,” says Odessa Armstrong, an admissions counselor at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. “One: Can you write? The writing sample shows us if you’re ready to write at the college level. Two: Who are you, as a person? The other parts of your college application don’t tell us much about you. In the essay, you share in your own words who you are, and that helps us see if you’ll be a good fit in our community.”

2. Find the Right Story

In a college application essay, you’re aiming to tell a complete story in a relatively short word count. That said, “You have to dig deeper than ‘I started dancing when I was 6 and I remember my first pair of pointe shoes,’ ” says Snyder.

“A story has to have tension in it,” explains Perri Meeks, dean of the upper school at Brooklyn’s Poly Prep, which offers dance as part of its curriculum. Meeks previously worked in undergraduate admissions at Barnard College in New York City, as well as in graduate admissions at Columbia University’s Teachers College. “An essay that lists your resumé will never read as strongly as a more emotional or reflective piece. Why is ballet important to you? What are the values you’ve gotten from your practice of ballet? Have you developed certain skills, like discipline and focus? What friendships have you made? Was there a time you failed?”

Your essay could focus on something practical, like time management. You could talk about overcoming the odds to follow your dreams. You could discuss finding your way back to the stage after an injury or burnout. Or you could share what you learned from tackling a challenging role or entering a competition.

Whatever topic you choose, strive to include specific, rich details that are unique to your perspective and experience. “I love when writers can paint a picture,” Armstrong says. “Put me in that place, whether it’s the dance studio, a performance, or another setting. Use figurative language. Incorporate all of the senses. When I read an essay that is well-written and tells a story that captivates me, I’m excited.”

Put in the Work

At UNCSA, college essay prep starts the summer after junior year. “We encourage students to go on the common application and review the essay prompts, and then to go ahead and start outlining and drafting,” says Yasmine Bell, a guidance counselor for UNCSA’s high school academics program. Meeks recommends high school juniors and rising seniors jot down notes about what they did and how they felt. “Looking back a few months later, you can find common themes that might have a place in your essay,” she says. 

When you have a complete draft, it’s time to get feedback. Show it to your dance teacher, your English teacher, your guidance counselor, your parents—anyone you trust to be honest with you about what’s working and what’s not. Ask for comments on your themes and the story you’re telling, as well as on the grammar and general flow of the essay. Then, be prepared to revise…and revise again. (And again.) “It’s okay if the finished product is different than what you conceived at the beginning,” Meeks says. “Give yourself time to explore your ideas and to find the best way to express them.”

The goal is to send out something that only you could write. The essay should be about your dance journey, and it should feel like it’s written in your authentic voice. “Your passion, your discipline, your commitment to your art—that will all be transferable to whatever you choose to do in the future,” Snyder says. The college essay is only the beginning.

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Essays About Dance: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

If you are writing essays about dance, see our essay examples and prompts below to inspire and guide you for your next essay. 

Dance refers to a sequence of rhythmic body movements, usually in sync with a beat or music. The earliest historical dance records can be found in cave paintings and are suggested to be associated with religious purposes. Today, one can dance for several reasons. It can be a channel to express their emotions and ideas, release energy, conduct a ritual, celebrate a tradition, or simply exercise. 

Check out our round-up of five great essays that can inspire you in writing your piece about dance: 

1. Are Humans The Only Species That Enjoy Dancing? by Jason Goldman

2. ballet and modern dance: using ballet as the basis for other dance techniques by helen kantilaftis, 3. bollywood dance explained by lucy townsend, 4. essay: when i broke up with ballet by stephanie wolf, 5. explained: breaking rules, moves and format by aarish ansari, 1. dance as a passion., 2. types of dances. , 3. health benefits of dancing., 4. preserving traditional dance., 5. the most iconic dance moves of all time. , 6. protecting choreographic works., 7. dance as an expression of culture., 8. animals that dance., 9. dance as a source of livelihood., 10. life values learned from dancing..

“Snowball became famous on the internet when videos were uploaded of the twelve-year-old cockatoo appearing to dance to a Backstreet Boys song. He seems to bob his head up and down in sync with the beat of the song… Could it really be that humans aren’t unique in their abilities to dance?”

The article amusingly explores certain animals that are proven to have a beat for dancing. While videos of dancing animals are a rave on social media, the article reveals that the discovery of dancing animals may have been as early as the time of Charles Darwin. The naturalist discovered and theorized that birds use dance to pick their mates, a process that a study showed is more common in humans than we thought. 

“Ballet is like the mother of all dance techniques. Most Western dance styles today can be traced back to ballet, and its codification has been extremely influential in all styles of dance.”

Ballet can improve one’s musicality, awareness, tempo, strength, and agility. Kantilaftis explains that other dances borrow many techniques and moves from ballet. For example, if you take hip-hop or jazz class, chances are there will be movements that could be enhanced by learning ballet first. The author then provides tips on how dancers can incorporate ballet to enhance their routines and be well-rounded dancers overall. You might also be interested in these essays about color .

“Bollywood dance is easy on the eye. Dramatic facial expressions and cinematic pizzazz mean any viewer, dance aficionado or not, can follow the story. But beneath the fizz is a series of historic symbols and traditions, which originate in India’s numerous traditional dance forms.”

No good Indian film is complete without the famous Bollywood dance. In this article, the author uncovers the symbolisms behind the hand gestures, facial expressions, neck movement, footwork, and vibrant costumes in Bollywood dance. It turns out that each movement and accessory contribute to telling a story with themes ranging from weather to animals and destinations.

“After 12 years of fighting for my dance career, it became clear this was not an injury from which I could bounce back. My body had already been through too much, and I felt fatigued from chasing my dreams. While I had always had outside interests, I was now forced to really look at what life would be like post-dancing.”

A former ballet dancer talks about her heartbreaking story of ending a dance career over two decades ago. The breakup was the inevitable consequence of an irreversible injury, causing emotional shock over a loss of identity. Several years forward, Wolf admits that she remains to grieve over the end of her dancing chapter but continues to find new sources of hope to continue living.

“From the streets of New York in the 1970s to the grand stage of the Olympic Games, breaking has charted a course not many would have thought was possible… breaking has evolved into a proper dance sport, with a fixed set of rules that make for fair competition.”

The article celebrates breakdancing’s breakthrough to be part of the Olympic 2024 as a silver medal event. In addition, the article dives into the signature moves that define breakdancing and judges’ criteria for selecting the winning breakdancers. 

10 Prompts On Essays About Dance

For more essay ideas, take a pick from one of our prompts below:

If you have a passion for dancing, write your story about how you have discovered this passion. Describe what dancing does to your mind and body. Write about your dance style, how often you dance and what kinds of music you love dancing to. If you’re not into dancing but know others who are passionate about this art form, interview them instead. 

Research about the different kinds of dances. There are many popular ones, such as ballroom, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and jazz. To narrow down the scope of this prompt, pick five that interest you the most. Then, describe each and elaborate on their influence on art, culture, and society. 

Dance can strengthen cardiovascular health, reduce stress and improve balance and flexibility. Cite other physical and mental health benefits of dancing. Explain how each of these contributes to one’s overall well-being. For example, some communities have been promoting dance to fight obesity and strengthen heart muscles. You can also add how your community encourages dance in its health programs. 

Modern dance is so pervasive that it is feared to bump off folk dance from the stage. Recount the ways your country or community is preserving its traditional dances. Describe these dances and provide a brief historical overview of their importance to your country or community’s culture. Finally, think and write about what other efforts should be taken to allow traditional dances to share the spotlight with modern dance.

Many of us have witnessed different dance crazes, from the moonwalk popularized by Michael Jackson to the shimmy dougie and the fierce hair whip. Analyze what makes this dance move iconic enough to bring the whole world to dance to one beat and movement. 

Choreography is protectable copyrighted work. Provide dancers with a guide on how they can best protect the copyright of their dance masterpieces. Outline copyright protection issues, such as cross-border jurisdictions and digital piracy. Then, provide tips on how performers can best enforce their copyright. For example, one way is to register their work at the intellectual property office of their country. 

Waltz across several traditional dances and show how each of these dances helps express a community’s culture, identity, and belief system. Research the kinds of dance that are deeply embedded in a tradition. Describe the movements involved in this dance and how they symbolize the community’s beliefs and ideals. Then, add how communities pass on the dance to preserve it from generation to generation. 

Build on our essay example on dancing animals. List down the animals that studies are found to possess some dancing prowess. Describe their dancing styles and discover the factors that entice them to dance. For example, is dancing for them mere entertainment, or does it serve a more practical purpose, as with birds? 

Find out what the average income of a dancer or choreographer is. Interview dancers and ask about their level of satisfaction with their current income. Dive deep into the barriers that prevent their incomes from rising and what reforms they would like to see in choreographers’ and performers’ livelihoods. You can also write about how entertainment platforms have expanded the industry’s earning opportunities. 

Dancing is not just a skill or a hobby. It could be a way to learn essential life lessons that will help you get ahead and conquer challenging experiences. Enumerate the lessons one can learn from dancing. Discipline, determination, and creativity are just a few. Explain how one develops these traits from dance and why it makes for a great extracurricular activity for children.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining how you can achieve persuasive writing .

If you’d like to learn more, our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay in this guide.

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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How to Plan a Successful Dance Class

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A friend of mine who teaches high school math was surprised to hear that dance teachers make lesson plans, too. It’s true that lesson planning for school is a lot more complicated, what with national standards and all, but yes, a good dance lesson requires some planning! In this post, I will walk you through my process for planning a dance class. It’s a combination of what I learned in college and my own method that I’ve developed by trial and error.

Step 1: The Big Picture

Ideally, you have a list of goals that you’ve been working on throughout the year. (I’m running on the assumption that this is not the first class of the year. That requires a totally different planning method.) Take a look at your goals, what’s been successful, and what needs more work, and use that analysis to create a “focus of the day.”

A focus of the day could be pretty much anything you want your students to learn or get better at. It could be something from your list of goals, either something you’ve already worked on that needs more time or something you haven’t gotten to yet. Or, it could be something that’s not on your list of goals that you think is important to cover. Always be open to straying from the master plan if you think your students need something.

Let’s pick an example focus of the day to use for the rest of the post. Let’s say we’re teaching a pre-pointe ballet class with girls age 11-12, and we want to work on maintaining turnout in petite allegro.

Step 2:  Plan According to the Focus of the Day

Once you’ve picked a focus of the day, you’re actually going to plan the class backwards. Start by creating a combo that will force the students to work on the focus of the day. In our example, we would make a petite allegro combination, probably with a lot of fifth positions and opportunities for them to check their turnout.

Once you have the combo, you play a little game. The goal of the game is that by the time you get to the combo, the students will already have all the knowledge and muscle memory that they need to be successful at it. Here’s how you do that. First, break the combo down into small skills that have to do with your focus of the day. Our list for the petite allegro combo might look like this:

• Closing in turned out fifth position after glissade
• Brushing with a turned out leg in jeté and glissade
• Landing on a turned out leg in jeté
• Executing pas de boureé with tight, turned-out steps
• Sending the knees over toes in plié

Now, as you create your warm-up, stretch sequence, center, and across-the-floor combos, make sure all of those mini goals are covered. I would make sure to do some degagés that close in plié fifth position to work on the first point at the barre. You could work on landing on a turned out leg by doing fondus that close in fifth. And of course, you can work on knees-over-toes in every plié throughout the class.

This approach gives meaning to each combination and creates a clear connection from the beginning to the end of class. Even if you don’t mention the focus of the day to your students, they’ll be able to tell there’s something specific you want them to work on based on the combinations and your corrections. I recommend telling them the focus of the day, because I’ve observed that students like knowing what the teacher is expecting of them, and they even look forward to knowing what the focus of the day is.

Step 3: Work Out the Timing

This is the part I always struggle with, figuring out how much time to spend on each exercise. Invariably, I end up cutting things in favor of getting to the final combo. It’s a process that I continue to work out for myself, but I have come up with some helpful tips along the way. Hopefully these will help you too!

• It’s always better to have too much planned than not enough.
• Leave at least 10 minutes unplanned. 5 minutes for you giving corrections and 5 minutes to account for things taking longer than expected, the teacher before you running late, etc.
• Don’t forget to take questions into account. You may need to repeat something once or twice if your students aren’t picking it up. But don’t leave time for questions on every combo, or it’ll pad your lesson plan with unfilled time.
• Around recital time, you will inevitably be interrupted by another class wanting to show their recital dance (or your kids asking to). Take that into account or you’ll never get everything done that you want to!
• Make note of what you did and didn’t have time for, so you can revisit it next week.

Now you should have a solid lesson plan that will help your class be successful!

Do you have any tips for creating dance lesson plans? Let me know in the comments!

Photo credit: © Jorge Royan /  http://www.royan.com.ar  /  CC BY-SA 3.0

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The Importance of Commitment and Consistency in Dance

Anyone who enjoys dance or has a true passion for it knows that commitment and consistency are vitally important. This is especially true if you are in a competition or looking to make a career of it. In most cases, dancing is a sport. The more you practice and the more time you spend honing your skills, the better you will become. The more time you spend honing your craft, the more effortless it will become.

Commitment to Honing Your Talent Some believe that dancing is a gift. It's a talent that you can practice, just like playing the piano or drawing a sketch. If you want to excel at what you love and take your skills to the next level, you need to make a commitment to both yourself and your craft to continue to work as hard as you can and learn as much as you can. Sticking to this commitment will give you the drive you need to continue to move forward.

Consistency Reduces the Risk of Injury Dance requires agility. The more you dance, the more agile you become. The more time you spend dancing, the stronger your muscles and joints become. Once you begin this process of exercising your body in this manner, maintaining a level of consistency is a must. If you stop for any length of time, you can't just jump back into your normal dance routine. Doing so could increase your risk of injury tremendously. Maintaining a constant training schedule reduces your risk of injury and keeps your body in top form. On the days you can't dance, practice some other form of exercise like yoga or Pilates. Any type of activity that keeps your body moving in a manner that it is used to will be beneficial.

Practice Always Makes Perfect When it comes to dance, "practice makes perfect" truly applies. A strong commitment to practice will allow you to steadily improve. You will gradually reach each milestone you set for yourself and eventually will reach your ultimate goal, no matter what that goal may be. Whether you are working towards winning a competition or would like to become a professional dancer, practicing and challenging yourself to always improve, even if it is small steps, is always important.

Commitment and consistency is of the utmost importance no matter what task you are trying to complete. With dance, committing yourself to continued improvement through practicing and pushing yourself to reach new heights will always be an important part of whatever you do. Never take your skills for granted! Continue to move forward and consistently set new goals. With hard work and dedication, there's no doubt that you will achieve them and so much more!

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Lifestyle & Interests — Dance

Essays About Dance

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The Impact of The Rite of Spring on Contemporary Dance

Neurological pain tolerance and dancers, the history of jazz dance in america, the art of ballroom dance and its complexity, collective identity and dance in modern urban society, dance exposes socio-political psychology, social media and its effects in the dance world, neoliberalism and the art of dancing, the handicapped and the disabled in ballroom dancing, an argument of the qualification of dancers as athletes, my first dance experience and lessons learned, mikhail nikolayevich baryshnikov: the story of ballet dancer, dance performance review: the rocky horror show, history of the performance of ballet and indlamu dance in south africa, the best music for ballroom dancing, the influence of martha graham on present day move, the symbolism of ballroom dancing, where to learn ballroom dancing, bollywood dancing history and origin, the biography of agnes de mille.

Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value.

The most popular types of dance are: ballet, ballroom, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, tap dance, folk dance, irish dance, modern dance, swing dance.

Fred Astaire, Michael Jackson, Carmen Amaya, Martha Graham, Patrick Swayze, Gillian Murphy, Margot Fonteyn, Michael Flatley, Isadora Duncan and many others.

Dancers are known to be disciplined, focused and high achievers who tend to be successful students and hard workers. Because of high physical demand on their bodies, most professional dances retire from dancing during their mid-30s. Researches prove that dancing also reduces stress and tension for the mind and body. Dancers have better coordination, agility and flexibility.

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Develop Dedication In Your Child Through Dance

Countryside YMCA discusses how dedication, discipline, and focus are developed in your child through their dance programs.

Dancing has a multitude of benefits. It not only helps you stay in shape, but it is also incredibly fun and rewarding. One of the more underappreciated benefits of dance is the invaluable life lessons you can learn. One of the more important lessons learned through the craft is dedication. The precision, skill, and hard work required to be successful is what sets dance apart. To most, it may prove to be too complex to learn and they give up. So in order to succeed in the art of Dance, you must first master the art of dedication. 

Every successful dancer can attest to the fact that you must put in the work and attend every class, session, practice, and meeting in order to grow and get better. Attending these classes might mean missing out on some other exciting activities such as parties or school events. Students must learn how to manage their time and balance other aspects of life, but as with most things in life, you get out what you put in. 

The main characteristic of someone who has mastered dedication is that they take on every challenge life throws at them and never stop chasing their dreams. Like most YMCA Activities, dance can be physically demanding. You will learn to be precise and intentional with your movements so that you seem as natural as possible while performing. The work required to achieve this is what teaches students to be dedicated to whatever they do in life. They learn to push through the hard times and come out the other side better and stronger.

Whether you’re looking to become a professional dancer, or your just taking classes for fun, learning dedication through dance will help you achieve your goals and ambitions in life. Dance teaches you healthy habits like how to take care of your body and what you need to eat to stay in peak physical shape. Dancing also requires one’s body to be flexible and stable, which requires focus and practice. 

Another way dedication is learned through dance is through the partnering technique. One partner feels the obligation to perform at their absolute best so as to not disappoint their partner. They commit to attending all classes and practice sessions in addition to possibly meeting outside the studio. 

Ultimately, dancers must learn how to stick with something, because it’s an incredibly difficult craft and no one becomes perfect overnight. If you put in the hard work and stay dedicated then you will see the fruits of your labor. As long as you have the mentality that you can always get better and improve you will be successful. 

To learn more about the dance classes and other YMCA Activities we offer click here . 

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How Dance Can Teach Literature 5 ways to use dance in your English class.

Lesson content.

Dance, as an art form, is perceived by many to be outside the domain of serious academic study.  However, dance can be a highly successful method of instructional support in many core subjects. The English (or language arts) classroom is one excellent example. Dance can complement the teaching of several diverse elements of the English curriculum. The five “centerpieces” in the teaching of English that can be illuminated and enriched through dance are: the language of analysis; the explication of a specific text; comparative analysis of literature; the essay-writing process; and the nurturing of creative imagination.

1. The Language of Analysis

A vital step in readying students to read literary texts with understanding and discernment is the inculcation of specific ways to examine literature. An effective way to achieve this goal is by first helping students learn what to look for—to grasp insight into the logical and aesthetic forces of human expression that, when woven together, build the narratives, characterizations and themes, shape the forms and individual styles, and achieve impact. Such “readiness” also helps students develop a critical eye in a probe of what contributes to the success of a manuscript, what specific aspects could be strengthened, what makes a “classic” a “classic.”

Dance can be a great assist in clarifying the language of analysis and inculcating an understanding of and appreciation for the strong undercurrents that fuel the power of literature. Explanations of tone, the basic concept of rhythm in poetry and prose and variations in rhythm, patterns of syntax, diction, and rhetorical elements such as parallelism, emphasis, subordination, coordination, compression, and expansion are deepened when demonstrated through dance movement. Students in a class or in the larger school community who have had dance training could be the primary “demonstrators,” but an entire class also could participate in dance movement aimed at clarifying and reinforcing aspects of the language of analysis.

2. Explication of a Specific Text

The explication of any genre of literature—poetry, short stories, dramatic scripts, novels, essays —can be enhanced by the infusion of dance into explanation “lessons.” Drawing on the “readiness” step of using dance to clarify the language of analysis, students can identify discrete elements of the narrative, characterization, theme(s), and form of a specific text and showcase them through dance. An effective starting point could be to have small collaborative groups “script” the structural drive of a literary selection through a graphic drawing and/or a brief written explanation of their perceptions, then present the evidence through dance movement. For instance, the assertion that the text starts slowly, then builds steadily to a climax at the end or builds to a climax then drops off in a sustained denouement, could be augmented through dance demonstration. The structural ebb and flow generated by a series of climatic points within the overall structural drive of a text could be punctuated by dance movement.

Clarification of the linguistic “texture” of a text also could be enriched through dance “translation.” For instance, dance can underscore whether or not a text is developed in a sustained rhythmic pattern (metered or unmetered in poetry) or that the rhythm changes sporadically to dramatize elements of the narrative, characterization, or theme. Dance also can be effectively used to delineate the tone quality of a literary selection including variations of tone achieved through shifting patterns of syntax, rhythm, and diction. Selected segments of the narrative and/or theme can be “interpreted” through dance. Rhetorical devices such as parallelism, sustained imagery, and alliteration can be highlighted through dance. Particularly valuable is that using dance to clarify and enrich the explication process of literature helps students perceive how the artistic tensions of a literary selection emerge from the organic unity of narrative, characterization, form, and theme. The intellectual, emotional, and psychological impact of a literary selection on a reader or observer is affected not only by narrative, characterization and/or theme but also by the aesthetic designs of form.

3. Comparative Analysis of Literature

One of the most valuable study techniques for deepening students’ grasp and appreciation of fine literature and their own writing is to hone their skills of comparative analysis. Again, dance can serve as an agent for helping students sharpen their perspective in making comparisons. Drawing on their background in the explication process, students can articulate a range of comparisons through dance.

As example: Are the selections being compared shaped by similar points of view? Are both interior monologues? Or is one source built from an “inner self”—with the emotional and psychological “voice” of the protagonist dominant in molding narrative and theme, while the other(s) source is developed through the “voice” of an objective or omniscient observer? Is one heavy with exposition and characterization, released in formal patterns of syntax while the other is sparse in description, terse in tone, developed in sentence fragments, and the interruptions of the mindstream? Or do the literary selections being compared include both outer and inner “voices,” with fluctuations of expanded lyrical passages and stream-of-consciousness?  Students with dance training could be called upon to project such similarities and differences in literary selections through dance. Non-dance trained students could be asked to improvise movement that they felt projected aspects of similarity or differences. Vignettes of videos of the choreographies of celebrated classical ballets such as  Don Quixote  or  La Sylphides  compared with Martha Graham’s modern dance version of  Lamentation  and/or  Cave of the Heart  could deepen perception of differentiated elements of development in literature.

4. The Essay-writing Process

An essay—analytical, persuasive, or personal (such as a college admissions essay)—is like other literary sources in that it is a focused entity with external boundaries and internal structure. It is formed out of the chaos of raw thought that streams through the mind of the writer when confronted with an assigned topic or when working to shape a topic of personal choice. Like all composition, it is a mathematical equation organically forged from a composite of logically related parts and, when compelling, infused and enriched with well-chosen and effectively integrated rhetorical devices.

Success in developing any type of essay is best achieved by the writer formally or informally following the steps of the writing process. Such an approach helps the writer to flush out a rich range of ideas, to narrow and limit those ideas into a manageable focus, and then to craft a manuscript that has appealing logical structure, substantive support, energy in the expansion of ideas, and rhetorical force.

Following the steps of the pre-writing process helps the writer generate a wealth of ideas and bring focus to that creative flow of ideas. These steps also help the writer harness his or her individual “voice” through capturing the thoughts, points of view, creative vision, personal experiences, and reactions that stream through the mind in focusing on a topic, a memory, or experience.

Dance can be instrumental in helping students understand the power of this pre-writing process. Asking a class (with all members participating) to choreograph the pre-writing steps helps students inculcate not only the pragmatic elements of the process as an organizational tool, but also sharpens their awareness of how the pre-writing process “mines” what they know about their topic, helping to expose what they don’t know and need to explore, and generating creative vision of what they want the final product to be.

The steps of the pre-writing process:

1. Capturing the chaos of the mind when brainstorming a topic 

2. Narrowing to a focus through trial and error 

3. Forging, as an early narrowing down process step, to discrete focal points that relate to the topic in a variety of ways 

4. Aligning interrelated focal points in categories ( for instance, if the general topic is “skiing,” some of the focal points may relate to “ideal places to ski,” others to “lodge accommodations,” others to “traveling challenges and/or experiences,” some to “après-ski”) 

5. Constructing two or three mini-theses (assertions) for each category—again, as a trial and error step 

6. Deciding what assertions could be woven together to forge a logically sound and compelling thesis that would serve as the controlling purpose of the essay

When initiated as a collaborative problem-solving activity designed to give added insight into pre-writing steps, the choreographing of each of the above steps in sequence (as one would choreograph the structure of a ballet) could serve as meaningful support for teaching the pre-writing process in an English class.

The opening out of the units of thought embedded in the thesis when writing the paper and experimenting with ways to achieve rhetorical power in structuring the paper also can be crafted in dance expression.

5. Nurturing Creative Imagination

Each of the ways suggested for using dance in an English class, although defined above as a way to achieve other purposes, nurtures students’ creative imagination. Some English class assignments involving dance, however, could specifically target “imagination” as a primary goal. Consider, for instance, assigning students, as an extension of a creative writing exercise, to articulate an abstract concept in dance idiom (individually, in pairs, or collaborative teams). Such abstract concepts as “jealousy,” “revenge,” “circumscribe,” “separate peace,” and “payback” are just a few possibilities. Citing existing literary sources built around some of these concepts could clarify the assignment and help evoke imaginative possibilities.

Another prompt could be to have students create a brief script for a dance drama. Some possibilities could be the scene of a homecoming, preparation for a wedding, an athletic practice session, a love triangle—there are numerous possibilities.  Integrating dance into the teaching of English serves many purposes: It supports differentiated learning by tapping into special talents and interests. It can open doors to the discovery of unrealized talents and interests. And it serves, in numerous ways, to clarify and enrich essential English class lessons in the study of literature, expository, and creative writing. It supports problem-solving, collaboration, and other communication skills in a fresh and provocative way. A teacher need not have dance training to pull it off. Think of dance as an intrinsic element of human nature. Encourage students to tap that self-magic to implement their study of English.

Jayne Karsten

Lisa Resnick

Joanna McKee

December 1, 2019

Article 4 Easy Social Dances for Upper Elementary

Some fun social dances to try with your upper-elementary-level students.

Article 5 Easy Social Dances for Early Elementary

Channel your students’ love of movement with these easy social dances.

Lesson Navajo Weaving

In this K-2 lesson, students will explore Navajo weavings by Navajo Peoples of North America. Students will choreograph a pattern of movements inspired by the weavings. Students will perform and discuss a pattern of movements for an audience.

• Visual Arts
• Social Studies & Civics

Lesson A Butterfly’s Life Cycle Dance

In this K-2 lesson, students will choreograph an original dance that communicates the life cycle stages of the monarch butterfly. They will read Eric Carle’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explore the monarch butterfly migration process.

Lesson Jazz Music, Dance, and Poetry

In this 3-5 lesson, students will explore jazz music and dance, then write a jazz-inspired cinquain poem. They will build their background on the history of jazz and its use of improvisation to demonstrate jazz dance movements. 

• Jazz & Blues

Lesson Storytelling Through Dance

In this grade 3-5 lesson, students will analyze how ballet dancers in The Nutcracker act out the story/character with movement instead of words. Students will emotionally and physically tell a story through dance and pantomime.

• Musical Theater

Collection Dance

What’s the difference between troika and hula? How can dance tell stories and preserve histories? Discover dance and its impact on culture by exploring Ancient Egyptian rituals and Native American legends. Learn how dance tells stories and poems through a language of movement and music, and pick up a few moves yourself.

Collection Language & Literary Arts

How do fables and myths explain the unknown and preserve cultures? What makes a good story? How do plays comment on societal issues? Grab a pencil and prepare to create original poems, experience the Civil War through letters, and parse symbolism and metaphor in this exploration of language arts.

• Language Studies

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