Dance Overview - Concepedia

Principles

Definition

Dance is an academic field dedicated to the study of human movement as an art form, cultural practice, and mode of expression. It investigates the aesthetic, symbolic, and communicative functions of patterned physical movement across diverse historical and social contexts, employing interdisciplinary approaches to analyze its form, meaning, and significance.

Ontological type

Cultural Contexts

Theoretical Frameworks

Research Methods

Key developments

Key Figures

Biomechanics and Dancer Health era

Michelle P. Warren [1] conducted work during the Biomechanics and Dancer Health era at University of Pennsylvania [3] and Cornell University [4]. Her key contributions include the papers Scoliosis and Fractures in Young Ballet Dancers [7] and The relation of eating problems and amenorrhea in ballet dancers [8], which advanced empirical understanding of dancer physiology, injury risk, and health screening. Linda Hamilton [2] was associated with Columbia University [5] and University of Birmingham [6] during this era. Her key contributions draw on the papers Scoliosis and Fractures in Young Ballet Dancers [7] and The relation of eating problems and amenorrhea in ballet dancers [8], highlighting the links between musculoskeletal issues and menstrual health, and informing screening, nutrition, and injury prevention guidelines in this biomechanics era.

Embodied Interdisciplinary Integration era

W. Richard Scott [1] is a prominent figure associated with Stanford University [3] and the University of Colorado Boulder [4] in this era. His 2008 paper Lords of the Dance: Professionals as Institutional Agents [7] illuminates how dance professionals function as institutional agents, bridging disciplines and advancing practice across embodied research, pedagogy, and therapy. Gammon M. Earhart [2] is affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis [5] and Oregon Health & Science University [6] during this era. Her studies, including A Study on the Effects of Argentine Tango as a Form of Partnered Dance for those with Parkinson Disease and the Healthy Elderly [8] and Effects of dance on balance and gait in severe Parkinson disease: A case study [9], provide empirical evidence that partnered dance and dance-based interventions can improve balance, gait, and quality of life, underscoring dance as a practical, interdisciplinary modality for movement disorders in this era.

Dance-Based Health Interventions era

Alexei A. Efros [1] is associated with the University of California, Berkeley [3] and Carnegie Mellon University [4] in this era. His key contribution in this era is the paper Everybody Dance Now [6], which articulates how dance can function as a scalable public-health intervention and informs the design and evaluation of community-based dance programs. Tinghui Zhou [2] is associated with University of California, Berkeley [3] and Berkeley College [5] in this era. Her contribution centers on the same paper Everybody Dance Now [6], illustrating interdisciplinary considerations and the role of academic partnerships in shaping population-level dance-based health interventions.