7.2: Why is Teaching Dance Important?
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Dance can be used for many purposes in addition to educating the populace. Dance can be many things to many different people. Some people dance to perform (performance dance), heal (therapeutic dance), worship (ritual or liturgical dance), keep fit (aerobic dance like Zumba), entertain (theatrical dance), socialize (social dance), or as you learned in previous chapters, dance could even be used as a tool for political propaganda. But for our purposes in this chapter, we will focus on a deeply intrinsic and individualistic, reason for dance: Hope… Inspiration…
There is a self-feeding loop where ideas fuel one’s words, whereby actions then occur. With hard work, focus and effort, we can become whatever we dream of becoming. Notice it all starts with a dream, the expression of an ideal. From the idea, words lead to action. We can continue to work toward our dream with hard work, focus and effort. Ideas, words, actions are all equally important notions in human culture. In order to act on the ideas, humans need tools. Art is an expression, a vision, an advancement of our ideals. Hope… Inspiration… Why is teaching dance important? Well, in the words of a former Prime Minister of United Kingdom Benjamin Disraeli, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own”.
(Mary Strout. (2006, May). Dancer Abby Silva Gavezzoli leads a master class at the Parsons Dance Company in May 2006. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parsons_Dance_Company_class.jpg)
If teaching dance is to impact individuals and broader society, then the importance of pedagogy lies in the teleological end-point goals, or purposeful aims (Aristotle, 1998). Aristotle, the revered philosopher from ancient Greece posited the concept of teleology. Heralded throughout history, Aristotle proclaimed that an acorn's intrinsic teleos, or end-in-view purpose, was to become a fully grown oak tree (Aristotle, 1998). This concept promotes the notion that inherent potential is united with a purposeful objective. Embracing this framework of teleological purpose as a perspective for the buttressing twenty-first century danced education, perhaps a purposeful career objective for dance majors, or auto-ethnographic choreography can anchor a dancer’s sense of identity, purpose, and belonging (Baldwin & Motter, 2020).
Derived from the Greek telos, “end,” and logos, “reason”, teleology is the study of ends or purposes, whereby the pursuit of a goal inherently fulfills some meaningful, end-point goal, where there is a reason, or purpose. Teleology is the pursuit of a goal that inherently fulfills some meaningful, end-point purpose (Aristotle, 1998; Brittanica, 2023).
For dance education to be teleological in nature, the end-point goals must be in view for dancers and teachers alike. If there is a meaningful aim that serves both the individuals and broader society, then dance education is functionally purposeful (Aristotle, 1998; Dewey, 1944; Malinowski, 1922). Good teachers engage the whole student, engaging the mind, body, and spirit. Teaching dance can invite investigation and invention, where dreams can become a reality. The scaffolding of a cogent theory and practice for teaching dance, which has positive implications in fields beyond dance.