Dance Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design
Authors: Kassing Gayle , Jay-Kirschenbaum Danielle 
Published: October 2024

This new edition of Dance Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design is ideal for preparing undergraduate students to teach dance education. Students will learn a conceptual and comprehensive model of dance education that embraces dance as an art form and a lifelong physical activity. Students will gain the tools they need to teach various dance forms, create effective lesson and unit plans, and develop a curriculum that meets arts and education standards.

The second edition of this foundational text uses a holistic approach to dance pedagogy for teaching children through adults in school and community environments. It also introduces theories from multiple disciplines and helps students apply those theories and processes when creating lesson and unit plans.

New Material

Dance Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design offers much new material:

• Four new sample dance units (up from 10 in the previous edition)

• Many useful instructor ancillaries, including an instructor guide, a presentation package, and a test package; students can submit their work electronically, and quizzes are automatically graded

• Resources delivered on HKPropel, including a variety of projects, printable forms, and video clips that demonstrate selected steps, movements, exercises, and combinations of different dance forms

• Beyond Technique assignments, which have been field tested in university courses, to help students see firsthand what a dance teacher does

The sample dance units offer a comprehensive guide for teaching popular dance forms, and they now cover a greater diversity of styles, including hip-hop, Mexican folkloric, African, and line dance. In addition, the new ancillaries offer scope and sequence plans and block time plans for all 14 dance units, as well as all printable forms from the book.

Dance Portfolio

Another great feature of the book is the dance portfolio that students will create as they work through the text. This portfolio will help them demonstrate their ability to create lesson plans, a unit plan, and a complete dance curriculum. The students will develop these abilities as they complete chapters 1 through 13. Chapter 14 then walks students through assembling the sections of the portfolio. Projects the student can complete to include within their portfolio are available on HKPropel.

Step-by-Step Approach

Dance Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design offers students a step-by-step course of study for how to teach dance and create sustainable dance programs in schools. The authors synthesize a wide variety of research and resources to support dance pedagogy and curriculum development, provide the infrastructure to meet the changing needs of students to teach dance in the 21st century, and supply extensive references for students to use to increase their dance education knowledge.

Book Organization

The text is organized into three parts. Part I covers information specific to teaching dance and understanding learners from grades preK through 12. Part II focuses on applying the dance knowledge gained from part I to the teaching and learning process in the four categories of dance forms. In part III, students learn how to develop unit plans and choose a curriculum design for their dance programs.

Filling a Void

Dance Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design, Second Edition, addresses the knowledge, skills, processes, and content that students need as they prepare to teach dance in various settings. This text fills a void in dance education literature, studying all the steps as it provides students the foundational knowledge and practical know-how they need to confidently begin teaching dance in schools, recreation programs, or private dance studios.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.