Teaching dance in tertiary institutions

The Tertiary Dance Council of Australia (TDCA) is advocating for dance education and its role in society at all educational levels, from early childhood through to tertiary education and beyond.

By examining these connections and making them visible, we advocate for a more integrated, holistic approach to dance education policy and practice.

Just as the full picture emerges when dots are joined visually, the true value of dance education becomes apparent when we connect its impacts across social, emotional, cognitive, cultural, therapeutic, and professional domains.

In this paper, entitled Joining the Dots: Advocating for the Role of Education Across All Sectors of the Dance Community, the TDCA presents comprehensive evidence demonstrating the significant positive impacts of dance education across mutiple domains of Australian society.

Drawing on a substantial body of international and Australian research, we establish that dance education enhances socio-emotional competence and critical thinking skills in children and adolescents, providing them with essential tools for personal development and academic success.

Dance education improves mental health outcomes and general wellbeing across various demographics, offering therapeutic benefits that address contemporary health challenges. Additionally, dance provides unique cultural and healing benefits for First Nations communities, supporting cultural continuity and addressing intergenerational trauma.

—Dr Peter Cook, USQ
      Chair, TDCA

The Tertiary Dance Council of Australia (TDCA) is comprised of academic members from Australian higher education institutions that offer programs in Dance and Dance Education. It exists under the auspices of Ausdance National, and is chaired by Associate Professor Peter Cook of the University of Southern Queensland.

The TDCA is seriously concerned about the Federal Government’s re-prioritisation of research funds, resulting in ministerial intervention and the enacting of veto powers in relation to the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Grants and Linkage programs.

The TDCA has recently made a submission to the Senate's Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018.

Australian dance educators are also being encouraged to sign the Australian Parliament House Petition to prevent political interference in ARC funding grants (closing on 16 March).

Taipei National University of the Arts, 10–11 November 2017

There were some special moments at the Dance in Proximity conference, hosted in Taiwan by the Taipei National University of the Arts in November, and organised by a wonderful team of artists, choreographers and teachers, led by Yunyu Wang.

Munguntsetseg Munkhbadrakh demonstrating traditional Mongolian dance movements during the Cross-cultural Dance Education session. Photo Julie Dyson

There is so much we still have to learn about dance. Human bodies have been dancing for centuries and some of our training techniques have been passed on from generation to generation.

At Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Dr Emma Redding, head of dance science, is leading a growing group of researchers and students applying scientific methods to the dance training we do every day, seeking to gain knowledge about the body and the impact of dance.