Introduction
Education is crucial in developing critical thinking that helps students think logically and effectively interact with people. Society comprises diverse individuals with unique abilities, characteristics, and talents. Therefore, contemporary issues such as technology and advancing cultures are vital in the routine interactions among team members. While education’s primary objective is imparting knowledge and skills, students are nurtured into viable, ethical members of society.
Dance education combines art and exercise, connecting the mind and body. Students express their thoughts and feelings through dance, shaping their routine interactions. Dance education helps students identify their significant gender roles and culture, as different dance genres disseminate messages to specific genders or communities. Dance education and practice among learners have different perspectives on gender, diversity, and social power.
Dance Education and Practice
Dance education is beneficial for students in higher learning institutions, as it shapes their intelligence through creativity and physical movement. While it is conventional that learning and thought originate from the brain alone, dance education plays a significant role in human cognitive development (Ellis, 2019, p. 40). Dance education and practice shape thought, learning, and intelligence from various perspectives. The history of genres such as ballet and the Indian classical dance form of Kerala helps students understand the vital role of females in society (Banerjee, 2021).
Dance education involves reading and practice, allowing the students to understand art in-depth. Furthermore, the various interactions and artistry associated with dance education help shape the diversity of the students. Consequently, dance education and practice help learners understand gender, diversity, and power (Ellis, 2019). Gender and diversity have significantly influenced dance education and practice in various ways.
Diversity and Dance
Diversity Through Dance Education and Practice
Diversity involves recognizing that individuals are unique and hold different ideologies. There is no single accepted definition of diversity due to its multifaceted nature. However, it is conventionally agreed that diversity encompasses individuals from different social and ethnic backgrounds, as well as genders, and various social and political philosophies (Heng & Lim, 2021).
Dance practice involves recognition of the various cultures and traditions. Furthermore, the practice involves the dancing styles believed to be performed by specific genders (Banerjee, 2021). Dance education and practice involve a keen understanding of the history and various political ideologies that shape today’s world, including activism and multiculturalism.
Dance Education and Practice and Activism
Countries are governed through a social contract between the leaders and the people. Politics signifies decision-making among community members to live in harmony and drive the society toward development (Or and Berkovich, 2021). However, political differences arise, and activists use various media to express their dissatisfaction with politicians.
Historically, dances have been used to express activism against oppressive political climates (Or and Berkovich, 2021). For instance, Isadora Duncan’s dance was a form of political and national embodiment that rejected the “authority” of written dance notations (Walz, 2021, p.27). Dance was also used among enslaved Africans in America to maintain their social identity while rejecting harsh treatment from colonial enslavers (Walz, 2021, p. 27). Therefore, an imaginative and brilliant dance can convey a political message in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Multiculturism in the Art of Dance
Dance is perceived as a social and cultural practice, as it can express tribal loyalty and power. Traditional norms are expressed through dancing and colorful props that capture everyone’s attention (Suntikul, 2018). Consequently, students become more diverse as they can identify their unique cultures and learn more about aspects of their culture they were previously unaware of.
Dance education involves learning about the cultural dances and expressions of other people. Different cultures comprise the global community, and cultural diversity can be understood by learning about the dances of these cultures (Banerjee, 2021). For instance, dances such as the Charleston and Foxtrot, which express Western culture, have gained a global audience (Walz, 2021). Higher education students, through dance education, learn about different cultures and sometimes engage in dance practice. Consequently, cultural diversity is valued among diverse cultures.
Racial and religious diversity in dance
Recent technological developments have enhanced communication, allowing people to practice various dance styles with the touch of a keypad. Dance reflects the diverse races and religions that can be explored in dance classes or through online resources. Dances such as Lindy hop and Foxtrot are of American origin but are practiced worldwide (Garnicott, 2021). Additionally, samba and waltz have origins in Brazil and Germany.
The dance helps learners understand the global racial experiences. Religious diversity is also expressed through various dancing styles learned and used to reflect religious beliefs among different societies. Learners who can perform dances from diverse cultural backgrounds and traditions will likely appreciate and advocate for social issues such as racial and religious discrimination.
Dance Education and Practice and Gender
Gender Roles in the Art of Dance
Gender is vital in dance, as it influences dance patterns and conveys messages. Although some dances allow participation from both genders, others are stereotypically associated with a particular gender. Dance education and practice reflect the diverse gender roles in various dances (Suntikul, 2018). Furthermore, traditional dances specified female and male roles and would prohibit role exchange between the genders. Since dance is a physical activity, and males are believed to be stronger than females, males would typically perform dances that require strength (Walz, 2021).
The physical body structure also plays a crucial role in determining the positions and roles in dancing. Males generally have upper-body strength and tend to hold positions that require upper-body strength (Suntikul, 2018). Alternatively, females tend to have greater hip flexibility than males and often participate in dance practices that require flexible hips. Gender has remained significant in the various dancing styles that students can emulate to identify their societal roles.
The Role of Dance Education and Practice on Gender
While gender influences dancing patterns among dancers and students, dance education and practice influence gender. Dancing has influenced society’s perception of gender in diverse dimensions. Dance practice has been associated with physical activities among learners in higher education institutions. Females have enrolled in dancing classes to enhance their physical appearance and become attractive (Strzelinski et al., 2021).
Like other forms of aerobic and cardiovascular exercises, dancing can lead to weight loss, a significant concern among females. Many higher education institutions admire athletes’ bodies and strong muscles. Since dancing serves as a physical exercise that helps build muscle, many males have enrolled in dance classes (Strzelinski et al., 2021). Dancing education has helped in bodybuilding among both genders.
The Problem with Gender in Dance
Dancing is significant among learners in higher education institutions, but it is associated with social vices. The various genders play significant roles in dance presentation and practice. However, a developing stereotype of gender roles in dance is emerging. Various dancing genres are associated with a specific gender; the same performance may lead to discrimination (Van Vleet, 2021).
Furthermore, gender perception of dance education and practice has led to the demeaning of the female gender. Consequently, females have been given fewer opportunities than males in the various institutions of higher learning that promote dancing education. Therefore, the intersection between dancing and gender is associated with inequality and discrimination.
Males typically possess stronger muscles than females and are often given influential roles in dance presentations. Meanwhile, females are often associated with weaker roles in dance presentations. Associating males with strength in dance has led to the perception that males are aggressive and violent (Van Vleet, 2021).
Consequently, females tend to avoid males due to moral fear instilled during dance practice. While males are perceived as aggressive and violent, some try to exercise the roles played in dance in real-life situations. The males have been on the frontline of the increasing gender-based violence, and their roles in dance practice have played a role in their violent behavior.
Gender discrimination is on the rise among dance classes and performances. Females play dancing roles that represent weakness in society. The audience and dancing students associate females with weakness and powerlessness. Consequently, females are discriminated against in taking powerful positions in society. Females are better dancers than males, but most powerful positions in higher education learning institutions are male-dominated (Elsesser, 2019).
For instance, ballet dance is predominantly female, but male-dominated in terms of leadership (Elsesser, 2019). According to the Data Dance Project, 72% of ballet companies have male artistic directors (Dance Data Project, 2019). A similar trend is observed among the institutions of higher learning that support dance education and practice. Females have faced inequality in the dancing industry due to male domination and strength stereotypes.
Power in Dance Education and Practice
Power has a varying definition and may refer to social power or the development of strength and endurance to perform an activity. Social power refers to the ability to create and maintain desirable norms and values without coercion (Nye, 2021). While dance practice presents a diverse human culture, it is crucial in imparting morals and values among the students. Understanding the cultural value of dance among different societies helps transfer the values to the young generation.
Furthermore, dance education helps students and dancers reflect on nationalism, tribal loyalty, and power. For instance, dances performed to resist oppressive regimes help students understand their country’s history. Consequently, the students may become productive leaders when given political power. Dance was also used for social change among Africans during the colonial period (Glasgow, 2021).
Conclusion
Higher learning institutions provide a platform for social interactions that shape society. Dance education and practice are common among learning institutions, as they are a professional course and a physical activity. Dancing has influenced societal activities through different dimensions, including gender roles, cultural diversity, and social power. Gender and dance practice influence each other differently.
Dance has also been used for social change through activism and cultural understanding. As a tool for social transformation, dancing has been used to impart virtues and values in higher learning institutions. Social power has been gained and transformed through dance practice. Although dance transforms society, it is associated with vices such as inequality and gender discrimination. Dance education and practice are essential among learners, as they influence positive social change through diversity, gender representation, and social empowerment.
References
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