Dance and Dance Drama in Education

Book excerpt: Dance and Dance Drama in Education attempts to explain the arts of dance and dance drama as they take place in schools and colleges, and to relate them to other, more familiar creative arts in education. It takes into account the needs of young people in so far as they relate to these arts, and sets out to some extent to observe and to estimate the balance or lack of balance in school curricula, establishing the possible place of dance and dance drama in the education of children. Special attention is given to the place of this work in the curriculum of the Secondary Modern Girls' School, where such arts could play a most important part. The book begins by tracing the history of dance leading to the present place of dance and dance drama in education. This is followed by separate chapters on the language of movement; aims of the teacher of dance and dance drama; the link between the arts of dance and dance drama; and dance and dance drama as therapy. Subsequent chapters deal with movement, dance, and dance drama in primary and secondary schools; and work with students in a teacher training college.