What can be learned about arts literacy through dance? A speculative essay

Authors

  • Kimber Andrews University of Cincinnati – UC/Ohio
  • Flavia Bastos University of Cincinnati – UC/Ohio

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/2357-9854.89344

Keywords:

Reflexivity. Dance literacy. Embodied learning. Speculative pedagogy.

Abstract

In this visual essay, we discuss Dance in the City, a course that examines the multiple dimensions, contexts, and purposes of dance through an innovative pedagogy. Drawing upon our research and practice as dance and visual arts educators, we conceptualized our course and its learning experiences around a notion of dance literacy in which understanding and making dance/movement are complimentary acts that take place within a sociocultural context. Our vision was to develop a course that explored the broad context of dance to create a rare opportunity for students to engage with an otherwise largely ignored art form in higher education. From our speculative standpoint on dance pedagogy, we demonstrate how each student’s speculative trajectory in our course can lead to imagining and embodying futures and different ways of knowing about art, dance, and the world.

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Author Biographies

Kimber Andrews, University of Cincinnati – UC/Ohio

Ph.D., spent her early career as a professional dancer, choreographer and dance educator and continues to explore embodiment as it relates to education and arts-based research methodologies. Her work rests at the intersection of many fields including documentary filmmaking, dance, and aesthetic education. She is currently an Assistant Director at the Center for the Enhancement for Teaching and Learning and teaches courses at the University of Cincinnati.

Flavia Bastos, University of Cincinnati – UC/Ohio

Ph.D. is professor in Visual Arts Education, in the School of Art, University of Cincinnati. She also directs the Art Futures Program, a community- based initiative that prepares local youth through the process of socially engaged art to consider professional careers and college. She is past senior editor of the Journal of Art Education and has published and lectured extensively in the United States and other countries such as such as South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Spain, and Portugal.

References

BOLT, B. Art beyond representation: The performative power of the image. London: Tauris, 2004.

DILS, A. Moving into dance: Appreciation as dance literacy. In L. Bresler (Ed.). International handbook of research in arts education. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer, 2007. p. 569-580.

ROSS, J. The instructable body: Student bodies from classrooms to prison. In L. Bresler (Ed.), Knowing bodies, moving minds: Towards embodied teaching and learning. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004. p. 169-181.

STINSON, S. W. My body/myself: Lessons from dance education. In L. Bresler (Ed.), Knowing bodies, moving minds: Towards embodied teaching and learning. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004. p. 153-167.

THORP, M. Correlating theory and practice in fine art research: Understanding practice as research; seminars for first year PhD students. Journal of Visual Art Practice, 15(1), 2016. p.4-9.

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Published

2018-12-30

How to Cite

ANDREWS, Kimber; BASTOS, Flavia. What can be learned about arts literacy through dance? A speculative essay. Revista GEARTE, [S. l.], v. 5, n. 3, 2018. DOI: 10.22456/2357-9854.89344. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/gearte/article/view/89344. Acesso em: 9 aug. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2018): Diálogos entre o Ensino de Artes Visuais no Brasil e em outros contextos

Section

Diálogos entre o Ensino de Artes Visuais no Brasil e em outros contextos

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