Always being on your toes: elementary school dance teachers’ perceptions of inclusion and their roles in creating inclusive dance education environments

Values, Attributes, and Practices of Dance Artists in Inclusive Dance Talent Development Contexts

“…They explained that the qualities they respected in others and hoped to possess themselves, transcended pedagogical contexts and were paramount in both traditional inclusive dance environments and talent development settings with dancers with disabilities. The artists explained that these characteristics were beliefs that informed how they worked in dance with people of all abilities and ages in all the learning contexts they were engaged in, paralleling themes in the inclusive education literature as well as wider community dance approaches (Band et al, 2011;Chua, 2015;Cheesman, 2017;Zitomer, 2017).…”

“…In the current study, curiosity was illustrated by developing ways of moving based on disabled bodies and observations of classes were typified by Tone Østern's (2018) descriptions of a working laboratory where ideas are explored. As with other literature describing how dance pedagogy might be approached with people with disabilities, a flexible approach was a key attribute in order to consider how to overcome challenges which might be faced by participants with disabilities (Darbyshire and Nilsen, 2001;Kaufmann, 2006;Koch, 2010;Benjamin, 2013;Zitomer, 2017). Martin Seligman (2004) remarks that curiosity is a key strength that helps to build wisdom and knowledge about the self, the wider context in which one works and one's place in the world.…”

‘It’s my dream come true’: experiences and outcomes of an inclusive dance talent development programme

“…The practitioners were driven by a desire to learn continuously, improve their practice, reflect on their work, and forge strong relationships in their dance communities. Interestingly, the practices adopted by the participants were similar to those reported in more recreational settings (for example, Zitomer, 2016Zitomer, , 2017, suggesting that teachers' approaches do not vary according to context. It is possible that once talent pathways are more established for young disabled dancers, a more differentiated understanding of teaching practices and philosophies can be gleaned (Urmston & Aujla, 2019).…”

“…Multiple forms of improvement among the dancers were reported including those related to their technical and social skills, stamina, independence and increased confidence, both within IRIS and potentially outside of it. Studies of recreational disabled dancers similarly reported improved confidence and social skills (Reinders, ; Zitomer, , ; Zitomer & Reid, ), and the teacher’s perceptions of the students’ technical skills were supported by quantitative measures of their dance ability (Aujla & Needham‐Beck, ). Interestingly, one of the dancers mentioned that the programme could be ‘overwhelming’ at times, reflecting the intensity of IRIS and its ambition to mirror mainstream training.…”

“…Young disabled people can benefit from dance activity in areas such enjoyment, identity development, self‐expression, confidence, competence and social interaction (Reinders, ; Zitomer, , ; Zitomer & Reid, ). Previous research has tended to focus on recreational dance; however, one recent study reported high levels of subjective well‐being among disabled dancers enrolled in a talent development programme (Aujla & Needham‐Beck, ), with the participants scoring particularly highly for personal relationships, standard of living, and feeling part of the community.…”