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Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning pp 905–908Cite as

Dancing: A Nonverbal Language for Imagining and Learning

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Synonyms

Dance; Kinesthetic communication; Performing art

Definition

Dance is human behavior composed of purposeful, intentionally rhythmical, and culturally influenced sequences of communicative nonverbal body movement and stillness in time, space, and with effort. Dance stylizes movements, some from everyday life, with a degree of conventionality or distinctive imaginative symbolization. Each dance genre has its own aesthetic (standards of appropriateness and competency).

Theoretical Background

Dance can engender visions of alternative possibilities in culture, politics, and the environment. Moreover, dance can also foster creative problem-solving and the acquisition, reinforcement, and assessment of nondance knowledge, emotional involvement, social awareness, and self and group identity (Hanna 2008).

Dance is captivating nonverbal communication that involves attention networks, motivation, and reward. Nonverbal communication includes the bodily conveyance of information through...

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  • DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_690
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References

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  • Grove, R., Stevens, C., & McKechnie, S. (Eds.). (2005). Thinking in four dimensions: Creativity and cognition in contemporary dance. Carlton: Melbourne University Press.

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  • Hanna, J. L. (1983). The Performer-Audience Connection: Emotion to Metaphor in Dance and Society. Austin: University of Texas Press.

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  • Hanna, J. L. (1987). To Dance Is Human: A of Nonverbal Communication (Rev. of 1979). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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  • Hanna, J. L. (1999). Partnering dance and education: Intelligent moves for changing times. Champaign: Human Kinetics.

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  • Hanna, J. L. (2006). Dancing for health: Conquering and preventing stress. Lanham: AltaMira.

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  • Hanna, J. L. (2008). A nonverbal language for imagining and learning: Dance education in K-12 curriculum. Educational Researcher, 37(8), 491–506.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Judith Lynne Hanna (Senior Research Scholar)

Authors
  1. Judith Lynne Hanna
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Judith Lynne Hanna .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economics and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Education, University of Freiburg, 79085, Freiburg, Germany

    Prof. Dr. Norbert M. Seel

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Hanna, J.L. (2012). Dancing: A Nonverbal Language for Imagining and Learning. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_690

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