Thinking Deeply About Dance & Dancing - Philosophy Lesson [P4C, Performing Arts, Dance, Dancing]

This ‘Fun Philosophy Lesson’ is focused on philosophical and ethical issues that relate dance and dancing. It’s ideal for dance teachers to use with students aged 8-16 in order to help them understand the importance of dance on a deeper level.

This interactive multi-use learning session is useful as a part of your schools performing arts provision and is of particular interest to teachers of dance it focuses on a wide range of topics such as:

• The value and purpose of dance
• The evolutionary psychology of dance
• Ecstatic Dance and the role of dance in spiritual development
• Ethical conduct and good manners on the dancefloor
• The importance of dance in social and emotional development
• The benefits of dancing for wider society and culture
• Dance Movement Therapy and the role of dance in fostering good mental health and treating mental illness
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The big question asked in this session is “Why do people dance?”. Using a variety of engaging activities students will discuss and debate a wide range of other philosophical and ethical questions such as:

• What, fundamentally, is dance?
• Why do some people enjoy dancing to music that evokes “negative” emotions such as anger, rage, tragedy or sadness?
• In what ways might a psychotherapist use dance as a tool for healing and treating mental illnesses?
• Why might dancing in a group or with a partner be uniquely beneficial in comparison with dancing alone?
• To what extent is it reasonable to say that “it is human nature to dance”?
• To what extent is there something politically rebellious about dancing freely and expressing oneself through dance?
• In terms of what one is doing with one’s mind: what is the essence of “skilful dancing”?
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This resource is suitable for students aged 8-16; due to the flexible nature of the sessions design it can be used for multiple hour-long sessions or as a short stimulating tutor-group activity.

The file is a non-editable PowerPoint Show: no planning or preparation is required, just run the file and the intuitive menu system will make delivering a powerful philosophy session very easy!