‘(Non)dance and (non)math people’: challenging binary disciplinary identities in education

ABSTRACT

In the disciplines of dance and mathematics, binary identities commonly split individuals into either (non)dance and/or (non)math people. However, these shorthand assessments become dangerous because they constrain disciplinary knowledge, and limiting one’s identity and capabilities remains antithetical to broad education goals. Capitalizing on dance as a situated, embodied form of knowledge, as well as an engaging, interactive, and social endeavor, we facilitate instruction that uses a dance-based approach to teach geometric transformations in a teacher education program. In this paper, we discuss findings from a case study intervention in a graduate-level geometry education course where we engaged participants in this transformations dance activity. We ask: What disciplinary practices did participants use in a dance-based intervention on geometric transformations? And, how did they use them? We found that the parallel disciplinary practices that the participants engaged in, in dance and mathematics, sheds light on a need in education to resist binary identities and to encourage inquiry-based practices. We aim to inspire future professional development and collaborative teaching opportunities for dance teachers in math and math teachers in dance, along with research that investigates intersections of learning, practice, and identity, particularly in dance + math.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance
• mathematics
• PK-12 education
• identity
• teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Each participant was randomly assigned a letter A-K by the transcriber, then referenced as Student A, Student B, Student K in the transcript records.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alison E. Leonard

Alison E. Leonard, Ph.D. is the Associate Professor of Arts & Creativity in the College of Education at Clemson University where she teaches coursework on the arts in education (dance, drama, music, & visual arts) in the Arts & Creativity Lab, a dedicated arts education space that she designed for arts education inquiry. Her research focuses on the teacher education and the arts in PK-12 education, primarily dance.

Nicole A. Bannister

Nicole A. Bannister, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the College of Education at Clemson University, where she teaches and researches about how teachers develop an asset orientation to the profession, specifically focusing on communities of practice as robust settings for learning strengths-based teaching practices in middle grades geometry contexts.

Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza

Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza, Ph.D. received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Clemson University, with a focus in STEM education. Her research and teaching revolve around creating and promoting equitable practices in schools and science classrooms. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Office of Vice Provost for Diversity & Inclusion at Indiana University.