What is it about?
If young people are learning dance, they are most likely enrolled in a private-sector studio that is involved with the competition circuit (Weisbrod 2010). This article presents a reflexive practice for dancers, parents, and teachers to contemplate what it means to be a part of the competitive dance model, along with introducing a newly formed group, the Bridge Dance Project (BDP), that aims to close the gap between competition dance and dance medicine.
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Photo by Kazuo ota on Unsplash
Why is it important?
A dancer can navigate the competitive circuit with a healthy mind and body, but teachers and parents need to guide and encourage young dancers toward awareness, agency, and growth. As dance changes, let’s move forward with a recognition of the developmental needs of young people both in mind and body. Dance in a competitive model can be about process over product.
Perspectives
Young people who engage in dance today, and mostly these dancers will be overwhelmingly female, need to combat the societal forces that are pushing them to see their bodies as products. When they see their bodies as products, they lose control of how they move and look, following social constructions that dominate whether one is seen and liked on social media. In order for females to find agency, they need to control their bodies, finding their creative voice through movement.
Heather Harrington
Kean University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Practical Resources for Dance Educators!, Dance Education in Practice, July 2021, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/23734833.2021.1954851.
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