Many dance teachers in the past have largely ignored the science of human motion, believing art and science are separate domains, she writes in the book. The fire and the passion for the art form can be supported and attained by the application of the science of motion. Some dance students may not see it at first, but scientific theories are relevant to their professions, says Mary McDonald, a program manager at the Center for Integrated Science Education. They need to know more than just how to dance. For example, she says, very few bodies are symmetrically perfect.
Dancers learn, by the study of kinesis, how to correct on stage what nature suppressed.
McDonald thrives on such concepts. Her job promotes science-related learning on campus and in the community. Science is easier to learn when ideas are integrated with other disciplines, she says. It's not like we exist in a world that is not inter-related. How you get great discoveries in science is how you get great art.