Health or Art? The Case for Dance in the Curriculum of British State Schools 1909–1919

Abstract

Dance, as an art form, has traditionally been associated with the programmes of study for physical education in British schools during the twenty‐first century. This discussion examines its dual role—as a means of healthy exercise and artistic expression within the specific framework of the Liberal Reforms. It reveals the impact of a systematic and methodical dissemination of dance within the framework of ‘physical exercises’ to the more coherent concept of ‘physical training’ by critically appraising the specific content of lessons for children of varying ages. References are made to specific case studies revealing how children were both empowered and enthused to become happy, healthy dancing children.

Notes

¹ Schama, S. A History of Britain: The Fate of Empire: 1776–2001. London: BBC, 2002: 424.

² Smith, W. D. Stretching Their Bodies. London: David & Charles, 1974: 52.

³ Booth, C. “Life and Labour of the People of London.” In The Changing Social Structure of England and Wales, 1871–1961, edited by D. Marsh. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul,1965: 196.

⁴ Board of Education. Report of the Board of Education, 1912–13. London: HMSO, 1914: 75.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ministry of Education. Education 1900–1950: The Report of the Ministry of Education and the Statistics of Public Education for England and Wales for the Year 1950. London: HMSO, 1951: 71.

⁷ Board of Education. The Syllabus of Physical Exercises for Public Elementary Schools. London: HMSO, 1909: vii.

⁸ Ibid., 36.

⁹ Bloomfield, A. “‘Mrs. Roadknight Reports….’: Jane Roadknight's Visionary Role in Transforming Elementary Education.” In Practical Visionaries Women, Education and Social Progress, 1790–1930, edited by M. Hilton and P. Hirsch. London: Longman, 2000: 174–75.

¹⁰ Board of Education, Syllabus (1909): 52–154.

¹¹ Ibid., 164.

¹² Burstall, S. Public Schools for Girls. London: Longmans, Green, 1911: 32.

¹³ Ibid., 210. The Eclectic system was another name for the German system of physical training, while the Swedish System was based on the principles of Per Henrik Ling. Martina Bergman‐Osterberg promoted the Ling System. See Bloomfield, A. “Martina Bergman‐Osterberg (1849–1915): Creating a Professional Role for Women in Physical Training.” History of Education, 34, no. 6 (2005): 517–34.

¹⁴ Alexander, A., and Mrs Alexander. British Physical Education for Girls. London: McDougalls, 1910: 56–82.

¹⁵ Sharp, C. J. The Country Dance Book. London: Novello & Co., Pt. I, 1909, Pt. II 1911, Pt. III 1912, Pt. IV, 1916, Pt. V, 1918, Pt. VI, 1922. The Morris Book appeared in five parts between 1907 and 1913, and The Sword Dances of Northern England in three parts between 1911 and 1913.

¹⁶ Hughes, M. A. Physical Exercises, Dances and Games in the Infant School. London: Novello & Co., 1915.

²² Ibid.

¹⁷ Crowdy, L.E. “Gymnastics and the Teaching of Dancing.” Journal of Scientific Physical Training, 9 (1916–17): 59–62.

¹⁸ Moore, D. “The Need of a Common Terminology in Dancing.” Journal of Scientific Physical Training, 24.

¹⁹ Ibid., 25.

²⁰ Bergman‐Osterberg, M. Ling's Swedish System. Gymnastic Tables. London: J. Martin & Sons, 1887.

²¹ Editorial “The Dancing Questionnaire.” Journal of Scientific Physical Training, 11 (1919): 26.

²³ Bloomfield, “Martina Bergman‐Osterberg”, 517–34.

²⁴ Bloomfield A. “The quickening of the National Spirit: Cecil Sharp and the Pioneers of the Folk‐Dance Revival in English State Schools (1900–26).” History of Education, 30, no. 1 (2001): 59–75.

²⁵ City of Nottingham Education Committee Minutes, (1916–1917), 345, 346, 347, Nottinghamshire Archive.

²⁷ Ibid.

²⁶ Ibid.

²⁸ Hansard, House of Commons, 10 August 1917.

²⁹ Ibid.

³⁰ Newman, G. The Building of a Nation's Health. London: Macmillan, 1939: 185.

³¹ Board of Education. Syllabus of Physical Training for Schools. London: HMSO, 1919: 5.

³² Board of Education, Syllabus (1919): 220.

³³ Ibid.

³⁴ Ibid., 221.

³⁵ Board of Education. Physical Exercises for Children Under Seven Years of Age with Typical Lessons. London: HMSO, 1919.

³⁶ Board of Education. Syllabus of Instruction in Physical Training For Training Colleges. London: HMSO, 1921.

³⁷ The City of Nottingham Education Committee Minutes (1918–19): 48; (1919–20): 238–338.

³⁸ Board of Education. Circular 976. London: HMSO, 1917.

³⁹ Cole, M. “He was Human….” In Nine Pioneers in Physical Education, edited by A. Howie. London: Physical Education Association, 1964: 29–36.

⁴⁰ Hobsbawn, E. J. Nations and Nationalism since 1780. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990: 91.