A Nonverbal Language for Imagining and Learning: Dance Education in K–12 Curriculum

Abstract

Curriculum theorists have provided a knowledge base concerning aesthetics, agency, creativity, lived experience, transcendence, learning through the body, and the power of the arts to engender visions of alternative possibilities in culture, politics, and the environment. However, these theoretical threads do not reveal the potential of K–12 dance education. Research on nonverbal communication and cognition, coupled with illustrative programs, provides key insights into dance as a distinct performing art discipline and as a liberal applied art that fosters creative problem solving and the acquisition, reinforcement, and assessment of nondance knowledge. Synthesizing and interpreting theory and research from different disciplines that is relevant to dance education, this article addresses cognition, emotion, language, learning styles, assessment, and new research directions in the field of education.