The Challenge and Benefit of Evaluating Folk Dancing Quality

Abstract

The physical, social, and music attributes inherent to folk dancing make it an ideal component of music education curricula. The communal experience of folk dancing is unprecedented for many adults and children. These experiences are unique because folk dancing can foster individual and group learning through music, and noncompetitive play. There is, however, currently a lack of assessment tools available to music educators for evaluating student folk dancing quality. In this discussion, the author examines the genre through the eyes of dance and physical educators, and the extant recreational folk dancing community. This exploration leads to the identification of observable skills and aesthetic features of good-quality folk dancing. This information culminates in the Folk Dancing Proficiency Rubric, created by the author, for use in educational settings.