Teaching Dance

About the Book

Teaching dance is an activity that is both a rigorous discipline which involves many years of study and a deeply personal expression.  Throughout the years, from the time I first encountered the Spectrum, I’ve realized more and more what an amazing pedagogical tool it is for dance as an art form.

The Spectrum will help dance teachers address many issues, including the following:

·         For the beginning teacher, “Did I meet my objectives?  How can I judge how well I did?”

·         For the advanced teacher, “How can I encourage initiative and make students more self-motivated?”

·         For the college or university teacher, “How do I help my colleagues in other disciplines (and administration) understand dance as an academic discipline?  What do I put in my tenure and promotion portfolio?”

·         For teachers with adult beginner classes, “How do I introduce my adult learners to basic movement material without ‘teaching down’ to them, to recognize their cognitive level and maturity?”

·         For teachers in private studios, “How can I teach so that I reach every student, keep students coming back for more classes, and thus keep enrollment (and my business) up?”

·         When teaching large classes, “How can I provide feedback for every student in the class and still keep the class moving?”

Whether you are facing a class of students for the first time or are an experienced teacher, whether you teach children or adults, whether in a recreational setting or college, you will find useful information here.  Supported by illustrations, examples, sample lesson plans, criteria sheets, activity suggestions and discussion questions, this work is designed for use as a textbook for student teachers and a resource for the professional teacher.  It includes practical tips and application suggestions, with additional material downloadable from the author’s website.  

About the Author

Elizabeth Gibbons received both the BFA and the MFA in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Ph. D. in Dance and Related Arts from Texas Woman's University.  She has taught dance for 30 years, at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania since 1992, and is director of the dance program.  She teaches a variety of dance and theory classes, and enjoys working with students and the challenge of balancing guidance and freedom to help students develop as dance artists, teachers, choreographers, and individuals. 

Teaching dance is an activity that is both a rigorous discipline which involves many years of study and a deeply personal expression.  Many of us started in dance because we loved the act of dancing, and teaching was something that came later: it was necessary to teach dance if we wanted to continue dancing and making a living doing it.  I started my life in dance intending to choreograph and perform, but teaching dance has become one of the great passions of my life. 

Two important concepts are at the heart of teaching dance:  enabling students to educate themselves through the art and medium of motion, and dance’s capacity for the self-transformation of the dancer.  The Spectrum can be an amazing tool for self-transformation for yourself as well as for your students.  Throughout the years, from the time I first encountered the Spectrum, I’ve realized more and more what an amazing pedagogical tool it is, for all ages, forms, and levels of dance as an art form.  My main reason for writing this book is to share the Spectrum with as many current and prospective dance teachers as possible and to help you to benefit from all it has to offer.