Literature Review: 'Partnering Dance and Education' (Part 2)

After changing my focus for my inquiry I have looked back over the literature which I previously explored.  As there is still a link between my original inquiry of transferable skills and my inquiry now of interdisciplinary learning, there will still be concepts and theories and can use for my new direction.

As my inquiry is looking into the value of Performing Arts within education, I wanted to look through this book to see if there was any more literature more specific to interdisciplinary learning.  

Partnering Dance and Education- Judith Lynne Hanna

THE POWER OF DANCE TAUGHT WELL - P47
'When students receive dance education they learn information and ways of thinking that complement other subjects.'

I think that no matter what education is being taught, a student is being given the opportunity to learn.  But the amount of learning taking place depends on many other factors including how willing that student is to learn and the way it is being taught.  The way that Hanna describes this way of learning appears to be very one sided to all students, however I do think that in some cases, the teaching of dance education could be more beneficial for some students as an easier way to absorb information and therefore learning skills which could potentially aid other subjects.

This could depend of the type of learning a student tends to learn better from.  This echos back to Module 1 when I looked at multiple intelligence's of the theories of Gardner (1983).  Perhaps the use of Performing Arts would fall into certain categories of this idea as a way of learning for some students.

INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING - P95
'Teachers also use dance to dramatize literature and understand vocabulary.'

Hanna starts to look into the possibility of interdisciplinary learning with Performing Arts and the subject of English.  Put into context with KS2 classes, I think this type of example could be used within poetry and performing a poem with the use of dance as a way of 'dramatizing' the literature and consequently enhancing the understanding.

'Science learning is another form of knowledge that benefits through the creative use of dance.'  
'...students created dances about water molecules heating up as they zoom, spin, boomerang and evaporate.'

This is another example that Hanna looked into from a class that used the idea of dance to show the process of molecules in an interactive way.  This is a visual learning aid as opposed to reading a piece of text which may be found as a harder way to absorb the information by some students.

HOW CAN DANCE BE A DISCIPLINE AND BE INTERDISCIPLINARY - P107/108
'Students can learn in, about and through dance.'

Here Hanna describes Dance as a subject in its own right but also as an interdisciplinary subject.  This shows her thoughts on the value of Dance.

'Beyond significant instruction in dance technique and creating dances is the goal of helping students make connections between and across subjects.'

I think 'connections' is a key word here.  To look at Performing Arts as an interdisciplinary learning tool but to identify connections between subjects could be a good way to communicate what is being taught.  

'Connections among dance and other arts or between dance and other subjects are of two types: correlation and integration.'

'Correlation approaches show specific similarities or differences.'


'Integration approaches use dance and other disciplines so that they are mutually reinforcing.'

These types of approaches that Hanna describes has opened up another theory to explore.  I think that 'integration and correlation' could prove an important area of research to help with my inquiry.  As my understanding of this is still unclear, I am going to look into this connection within the Arts and Education to expand on what is already known or cited.

'Dance is a kind of intelligence and learning that can reinforce other kinds of intelligence and dance is a means of acquiring knowledge.  It is clear that dance education has great potential.'

I agree with Hanna that dance education has a great potential but also have a realistic view to think that Performing Arts will never be a subject within its own right within Primary education.  Currently as dance is only included in the National Curriculum as a part of PE and with the only attainment target for KS2 to 'perform dances using a range of movement patterns'.  I wonder how much Dance is being used within schools.  Do teachers realise the same potential as myself that Performing Arts may provide and what are their current view on what Performing Arts has the potential to bring?

Gardner, Howard (1983) Frames of Mind the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, New York: Basic Books.

Hanna, J. (1999) Partnering Dance and Education: Intelligent Moves for Changing, United States: Human Kinetics

National Curriculum, National curriculum in England: physical education programmes of study, Key Stage 2, (Accessed 22nd November 2015)