thesis topics in dance

153 Dance Topics & Essay Examples

Whether you’re writing about the importance of dance, modern choreography, or weight loss benefits of dancing as a hobby, we can help. In this article, our team came up with some ideas of what to cover in your paper.

🏆 Best Dance Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

✅ most interesting dance topics to write about, 📑 good research topics about dance, ⭐ dance topics to talk about in your paper, 📌 simple & easy dance titles for essay, ❓ dance essay topics and questions.

• Benefits of Dancing Essay Dance is an art that refers to the movement of part of the body, some of the parts or the whole body while keeping rhythmical to music.
• Exploring Relationship in Raymond Carver’s “Why Don’t You Dance?” In the story, the author juxtaposes the young couple with the man to highlight the solitary existence of the latter. In contrast to the man, the boy and the girl feel as the people around […]
• What Is Dance: Definition and Genres Jazz dancing is a unique dance as it consists of dancers interpreting steps as well as moves in their own way.
• Dance Elements in “Swan Lake” and “Night Journey” Ballets One of the most famous ballet scenes in Swan Lake is the dance of little swans. In terms of choreography and music, it is a good example of art, since each of the three central […]
• Garba Dance, Its History and Specifics: A Traditional Indian Dance The inhabitants of the state believe that the dance dates back to the ancient times of Krishna. I have seen the live performance of Garba at a Navratri festival; both the dance and music were […]
• Dance and Mathematics Relationship Choreographers, in teaching dance techniques, can use knowledge of mathematics, the knowledge is also used to arrange dancers on the stage and control their movements.
• History and Development of Dance The art of dancing was connected by Greeks to the idea of harmony and perfection of human body: therefore, dancing ultimately had to be graceful in order to emphasize and not to destroy the natural […]
• “And the Soul Shall Dance” by Wakako Yamauchi and “Silent Dancing” by Judith Ortiz Cofer: Significance of Dancing as Theme There is only one “dancing” character in Yamauchi’s literary work and though the woman is not the protagonist of the short story, the theme of dancing becomes a central one due to the strength and […]
• Hip Hop Dance The TV shows such as the Wild style, Soul Train and Breakin, Beat Street also contributed in showcasing hip hop dance styles during the early periods of hip hop hype.
• Dance Analysis: Social and Cultural Context A study of dance involves connection of ideas between the past and the present with an aim of improving the quality of performance in regards to other social practices that arise from cultural beliefs.
• “Shall We Dance”: Movie Analysis This leads a person to hide their actions and lead a life of secrecy which is uncomfortable to the individual and people that are around.
• The Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) Sculpture In the sculpture, Shiva is dancing within a halo of flame, in his right hand holding the damaru, which is a hand drum that made the first sounds of creation, and the agni in his […]
• “The Dance Class” Painting by Edgar Degas In addition to properly chosen techniques and materials, the artist was able to create a story with the past, the present, and the future.
• “Dance of the Dead” by Richard Matheson Although the story mostly belongs to the science fiction genre, its central scene is focused on horror, and more specifically, the horror of the unknown that is emblematic of the dark fantasy genre according to […]
• The Ritual Dance Important Elements On the outside, the ritual dance has all the same elements the other types do: the costumes, the music, the patterns are generally recognizable.
• History of Samba in Brazilian Society: A Traditional Brazilian Dance The word samba is derived from the Angolan word “semba” which means the movement of the body which is described as the act of thrusting forward the body and which requires the contact of the […]
• Impact of the Dance as Education The importance is great for every human being to acquire the vital skills which one will be able to carry through one’s entire life, the skills which will enrich the person’s life and will add […]
• Jazz Dance and Its Techniques The modern and ballet dance styles can be also applied to jazz, as the kind of popular dance styles involves a wide range of dance elements.
• Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self With the help of her essay, Walker is able to write her own autobiography of her early years of life. Towards the end of her essay, it is evident that she is a successful woman […]
• Capoeira Dance History and Popularity This paper discusses the history of capoeira, how people relate to it in Brazil, where it went after the end of slavery in Brazil and its popularity worldwide.
• Traditional Chinese Lion Dance and Its Styles The first performer adorns the head of the lion and the other moves the body of the lion. The Japanese Lion Dance is used in traditional and religious festivals.
• Jazz Social Dance and Impact on American Culture Jazz is one of the common music genres that define the culture and racial history of the United States. Additionally, the nature of jazz dance was a new opportunity for African Americans to describe the […]
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Its History Alvin Ailey is an American dancer and choreographer, the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, who made a significant contribution to the popularization of modern dance and the emergence of black dancers on […]
• The Grass Dance Cultural Importance Historians believe that the Grass Dance emerged during the early years of The Reservation Period among the warrior societies. This explains that the movement of the dance was meaningful to the natives.
• Modern Dance by Jiri Kylian On the whole, analyzing the first part of the ballet from the beginning, we have to point out the appropriateness of the absence of sound accompaniment, which leads the onlooker to concentrate on the pattern […]
• Dance Writing in Creative and Studying Processes Eventually, the writing did not only feed the creative process but later on was used as an element of the performance, enhancing the experience of spectators, possibly developing more new treatments for the dance and […]
• “The World of Dance” Event As we have already stated, the World of Dance is a unique event in the sphere of art that tries to attract the attention of people across the world.
• Indian Culture: Dances of Rajasthan Diwali is one of the major festivals in the country. Ghoomar dance is also common in the region.
• Flamenco Dance and History of Passion Whenever people think of Spain and the Spanish culture, the first thing that comes to their mind is flamenco the dance of passion and the only way to express the nature of a Spaniard, the […]
• Feminist Films: “Stella Dallas” and “Dance Girl, Dance” In my opinion, the film’s main idea is the relations between the mother and the daughter. In other words, I would like to point out that it is a female subjectivity, which is recognized to […]
• Modern Dance in the United States At the beginning of the XX century, American choreographers and dancers contributed to the development of modern dance by adding their ideas and techniques.
• Nostalgic Feeling Among Asylee Immigrants: The Role of Dance The broad phenomenon of acculturation as a process of adjusting one’s values, beliefs, and habits according to the socio-cultural environment of an individual is an extremely complex social issue.
• Argentine Tango Dance for Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study Hence, over the course of this study, the authors evaluated the effect of the adapted Argentine Tango on the cancer patient’s neurological function.
• The “Bellyache” Dance by Billie Eilish The most identified element of the dance is space and energy, while time is the minor element the audience can recognize. One of the components of dance is time, which dance choreography and performance both […]
• Performance Art: Dance Concept It is recommended to resort to performance art to make the gallery attractive to people and demonstrate its relevance in the modern world.
• Creative Destruction and the Virtual Studio of Sydney Dance Company From his perspective, industrial mutations occur in the form of the revolutionization of economic structures, the destruction of older ways of doing things, and the emergence of the replacing practices or products.
• A Generational Dance: How Parents and Kids Relate In summation, it is vital to note that the well-being and development of a child depend on the wholesome relations with their parents.
• Anna Pavlova and Dance Culture in the United States The dance originated from a variety of movements and gestures associated with the processes of activity and emotional impressions of a person from the world around him.
• Poi Dance as Cultural Performance The theme of this dance is the traditional culture of the Maori people, in particular the expression of joy and gratitude.
• Interpretive Dance and Costume Design in Enhancing Music and Plays The ballet dancer’s frequent moves increase the intensity of the song’s message with every rhyme and beat as the song proceeds.
• Belly Dance: Rewarding Activity and an Art Form The dance emphasizes the individuality of a woman, it is believed that each dancer puts a story into the dance – from the rituals of birth to the dances of the priests of the Goddess.
• African Dance Taught by Rujeko Dumbutshena In this dance class, from a series by the Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning, Rujeko Dumbutshena teaches how to use the concept of dancing on the clock to learn African Dance.
• “Shiva as Lord of Dance” (ca. 11th Century): Norton Simon Museum It is evident that the emphasis in the sculpture is put on Shiva, acting as a focal point of the piece. The sculpture of “Shiva as Lord of Dance” emphasizes the complexity of layers the […]
• The Ghost Dance Movement and Its Emergence To conclude, the Ghost Dance was a movement that accumulated the various aspects of American Indians living in the 19th century and delivered their cry for justice and salvation.
• Flamingo or Flamenco Dance This is a very expressive dance in nature and it involves movement of the whole body but more specifically the hands in such a way that the audience can follow and understand the whole dance.
• Case Analysis Article “Shall We Dance?” They both agree on the idea of targeting the boomers because of the role they play in the economy of Canada.
• Flamenco Music and Dance History: Spanish Carte-De-Visite Born in Andalusia The dance is much spread in the world and is considered to be a part of human civilization’s heritage by UNESCO.
• Loïe Fuller: An American Dancer and Actor Fuller recalls that she invented her serpentine dance during her rehearsal for the part in the play. Even when Fuller came to Paris, she met there a young woman who copied her style, and she […]
• The Salsa: Music and Dance Review In the dance perspective, it refers to a dance that tries to communicate the beats found in the salsa music. All these are in an effort to spice up the salsa dance and music.
• Dance in the African Diaspora: History and Effects The dances the slaves performed were distinct in that they were against the culture of the slave owners and yet they were blended in with the culture of the slave owners.
• Classical Dance: Term Definition In Plutarch’s work, when Theseus and the other Athenian youths escape from the Minotaur, they participate in a dance of celebration.”The dances of the ancient times are characterized as dances of war or dances of […]
• History of Capoeira in the Brazilian Community: Social Dance and Form of Martial Arts Some of the historical implications of the capoeira include: originally this art was practiced by the underclasses in the Brazilian community. The middle class accepted the art and this led to the unification of the […]
• Space in Dance Theatre Employing space, a choreographer has an opportunity to establish a connection between the spectators and the performers, thus influencing the perception of the show and emphasizing the core ideas.
• Artists in Jazz Music and Dance Development The core areas in this study will include; the presentation, the ensemble, the musical instruments, and the memories of the events.
• Art, Dance, Nutrition Studies and Their Benefits For architectures to come up with great masterpieces they have to combine the mechanics of construction and the creativity of Art.
• “The Power of Myth” and “Lord of the Dance” Films The setting of the dance when the movie starts is a church and the dancing troupe is led by a clergy this gives the dance a religious association.
• Ballet Pas De Deux: Dance and Architecture Exhibition The theory of choreology is concerned with the elaboration of the connection between the conscious expression of movement patterns in dance and the principles that guide those movements.
• Ballet and Jazz Dance: Styles Description The form and line used in ballet dance underline the stage performance and make sure that the main and secondary performers each have their place. The forms and rhythm in jazz dance reflect the people’s […]
• Dance and Architecture in “Ballet Pas de Deux” Exhibition Therefore, dance and architecture are related due to the fact that both of them utilize space as a ground in which creativity is embodied.
• Beyond Description: Writing Beneath the Surface According to Jowitt, in order to describe a dance properly the writer is to possess a variety of different skills allowing them to select appropriate metaphors, apply correct judgment, draw clever comparisons, and present dance […]
• The Royal Ballet Dance in Covent Garden The event was staged by the house of Royal Oprah with mysterious, exciting, and arduous ballet dance broadcast to the audience.
• Lindy Hop Dance: Development, Events, Figures Besides, all the aspects of this dance are going to be taken into consideration the movements, the music, and its origin, dressing styles of the performers throughout the years, public perception of this form of […]
• Alvin Ailey’ and Alexander Pushkin’ Views on the Modern Dance In particular, he greatly contributed to the popularization of the so-called modern dance which was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century.
• The Culture of Electronic Dance Music In a bid to realize its aim, the paper discusses the relationship between attending EDM events and the rationality that leads to the consumption of illicit drugs such as ecstasy.
• The CSN Fall Dance Concert Even if a person is informed about some details of the dance concert and the guests, who are going to participate, it is hard to cope with the emotions and attitudes to everything that can […]
• Ghost Dance Religious Movement The circle dance formed the belief systems of the Native Americans and was later given the name the ghost dance. Jack Wilson also known as Wovoka by the Paiute people, was the founder of the […]
• Contemporary Dance: Continuity and Inimitability The study is based on observation of literature sources devoted to contemporary dance and our observation of works of contemporary dance, live and on the video.
• Dancer Alvin Ailey: Techniques and Artistic Choices Alvin Ailey was able to merge dancing techniques which previously seemed to be completely incompatible with one another, and it is one of the major achievements in the history of choreography because such artistic choices […]
• Dance: Alonzo King Lines Ballet Choreography is one of the strongest aspects of the performance. The entire attention is drawn to the dancers and the dance.
• Chicano Folklore: Mexican Folk Dance Some musicians have also supported this subgenre in different parts of the world. This genre also portrays the realities and experiences of many Mexican Americans in the country.
• The Dance Video “Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake 2” The choreographer has also selected the best styles for the dance. This is successful because of the lyrical and comic aspect of the dance.
• Moon – Solo Dance by Yang LiPing It could be defined as a large stage ethnic primitive genre if it was not for the complexity of the hidden innuendoes that the interpretation of the dance suggests.
• Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture Our family has a unique connection to the dance and music, and how it was used in the family and in social settings.
• Lord of Dance This paper looks at the relevance of the image of Shiva to the Hindu culture, and the disparity between its presence in a temple and display in a museum of art, away from the culture […]
• The Way of Geisha Dance The way of Geisha dance demonstrates to us the importance of maiko in the traditional Japanese culture. The dance is crucial to the lives of many Japanese women.
• Dance Education and Culture The important elements under discussion for all the dance styles analyzed include, the progression, the uniqueness in steps and the relevance of the knowledge gained to the student.
• Miami Dance Project for Autistic Children For me, what the Miami dance project represents is in line with what is known as the concept of confidence building wherein through the development of certain talents children with autism will begin to have […]
• Role of Advertising in Launching a New Dance School In order to launch a new dance school in the US, it would be necessary to analyze the market. Since its establishment in 1905, the institution has managed to offer training services to over 800 […]
• The Tangs Dancing Business The Tangs spent most of their time running their business as a result, they have no time to refine and polish their sales pitch.
• The Taxi Driver and the Dance With Wolves Films In the film Dance with Wolves, the director seems to be unable to convey the poetry and philosophical inclinations of the colonial masters and the natives of India.
• Survey of Contemporary Dances The aim of this report is to present and interpret the results of the survey on the attitude of people to contemporary dances.
• Arts Education: Music, Dance and Theatre They will be able to identify the role of “telephones” and “telephone” operators in their society. According to Moser and McKay, it is critical for the students to learn how to determine the type and […]
• The Cosmic Dance of Siva Conclusively, the aspect on sex as an element, which contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs lacks enough support to qualify as a fact. Therefore, due to the lack of tangible evidence and a testable hypothesis […]
• Ritual and Philippine Folk Dance
• Dance Therapy for Down Syndrome Effects and Improvements
• Dance and Movement Therapy in Cancer Care
• The Differences Between Real Music and Electronic Dance Music
• Capoeira Brazillian Dance: Martial Art
• Classical Ballet and Modern Dance
• American Music and Culture: Jazz Dance
• American History: Indian Tribes and Ghost Dance
• Dance Movements and Enhance Song Learning in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants
• The Difference Between Lyrical Dance and Ballet
• Dance and Fitness Concepts for the Physically Impaired
• Beauty That Moves: Dance for Parkinson’s Effects, Self-Efficacy, Gait Symmetry, and Dual-Task Performance
• Hypnotic Dance Music
• Dances and Different Styles in Dance Groups
• The Positive and Negative Effects of Dance on the Body
• Art Forms: Painting, Music, Theater, and Dance
• Different Cultural Beliefs About Dance
• Dance and Architecture: Spatiality and Orientation
• Irish Folk and Dance Music – History and Role
• Bollywood Dance Movies and Indian American Identity Formation
• History, Role, and Origin of Merengue Dance
• Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches
• The Dancing Brain: Structural and Functional Signatures of Expert Dance Training
• Street Dance: Frolic Progress Towards Unity Amidst Diversity
• Music, Theater, and Dance: From the Inside Out
• Ballet and Modern Dance: A Revolution Between Traditional and Modern Style
• Modern Dance and Gender Relations
• African American Dance Style
• Abstracting Dance: Detaching Ourselves From the Habitual Perception of the Moving Body
• Hip Hop Dance and the Entertainment Industry
• Relationship Between Electronic Dance Music and Drug Use Among Youth
• Honeybee Linguistics Comparative Analysis of the Waggle Dance Among Species of Apis
• The Lakota Sun Dance: An Overview of the Interconnectivity With All Aspects of Lakota Culture and the Changes Incurred During the Reservation Period
• Dance and Body Expression in the Video Dance and the Real World
• Dance Teaching Philosophies
• Pride and Prejudice: The Function of Dance
• Dance, Music, Meter, and Groove: A Forgotten Partnership
• Cause and Effect: Learning to Dance
• The Origin and History of Dance
• Creek and Cherokee Tribes and Traditional Southeastern Dance Decline
• Can Dance Inspire Change in the Society?
• How Does Culture Relate to Dance?
• How Does the Environment Affect the Viewing of the Dance?
• Will Pole Dance Future Olympic Sport?
• Why Is Dance Important to the Culture?
• How Is Electronic Dance Music Taking Over the World?
• How Is Dance Dance Revolution Getting Kids off the Couch?
• What Was the First Type of Dance?
• How Is Dance Used Today in Our Culture?
• What Are the Benefits of Dance in Mental and Emotional?
• How Can Dancing Improve Your Life and Health?
• How Does Dance Reflect Life?
• What Impact Does the Mass Media Have On the Perception of Dance on Society?
• Does the Waggle Dance Help Honey Bees for Longer Distances Than Expected for Their Body Size?
• How Has Dance Changed?
• How Has the Recent Financial Recession Affected the Arts & Dance Industry?
• When Did Dance First Start?
• Can Dance Change the World?
• How Swing Dance and Jazz Music Impacted America?
• Why Ecstasy Associated With Dance Music?
• How Dance Reflects Culture?
• How Does Ballet Relate to Dance?
• Can Dance Help to Express Emotions?
• How Does Dance Reflect Society?
• How Can Dance Inspire Change?
• How Can Dance Inspire Social or Political Change?
• Why Are Dance Lessons Good for Heart?
• How Can Music Make Us Get Up and Dance?
• How Is Ballet Different From Other Dances?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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319 Dance Essay Topics & Research Questions on Hip Hop, Ballet, & More

Dancing is a universal form of expression and movement. It has been an integral part of human culture for centuries. From traditional cultural dances to contemporary urban dance styles, this art form transcends language barriers and brings people together.

But dancing is not just about entertainment. It is significant in various aspects of society, from its role in expressing emotions to its impact on mental health.

In this article, our expert team delves into the diverse world of dance. Below, you’ll find interesting dance topics to write about and explore the cultural, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of dance. Read till the end to find a writing guide with examples.

🔝 Top 10 Dance Essay Topics

✏️ dancing essays: writing prompts, 🎓 dance essay titles, 💃🏻 argumentative essay topics about dance, 🕺🏾 hip hop research paper topics, 🔎 dance research paper topics, 📜 dance history research paper topics, 🩰 ballet research topics, ❓ dance research questions, ✍️ dance essay: writing guide, 🔗 references.

• Cultural significance of dance.
• Mental health benefits of dancing.
• Gender roles in dance.
• Dance as nonverbal communication.
• Technological innovations in dance.
• Social impact of dance activism.
• Dance education in schools.
• Emotional expression in dance.
• Dance and cultural identity.
• Politics of dance movements.

Why I Love Dance: Essay Prompt

Are you passionate about dance and want to write about it? Consider including the following points in your essay:

• Explain your deep-rooted passion for dance. Reflect on how dance has influenced your life, shaped your identity, and impacted your personal growth.
• Describe the specific styles or dance genres you are passionate about and explain why they hold a special place in your heart. Share experiences that have strengthened your love for dance, such as memorable performances, challenges , or inspirational moments.
• Discuss how dance has enriched your life and contributed to your overall well-being. Convey your dedication to dance and the importance of this art form in your life.

What Does Dance Mean to You: Essay Prompt

This essay is your chance to reflect on the place of dance in your life. Here are some ideas to include in your paper:

• Express your understanding and connection to dance. Describe what dance means to you on a deeply personal and emotional level. Share your unique perspective on the effects of dance on your life choices and identity.
• Discuss how dance has impacted your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Write about its contribution to your personal growth and development. Describe the emotions and sensations you experience while dancing and how they enrich your life. Discuss any memorable dance experiences, performances, or interactions with fellow dancers that impressed you.
• Depict your passion and appreciation for dance. Articulate the role of dancing in your life. Consider how dance has allowed you to express yourself , connect with others, and navigate life.

Hip Hop Essay Prompt

Are you a fan of hip-hop dance? Then you might enjoy writing an essay about it! Consider the points below to cover in your paper:

• Explore the art and culture of hip-hop. Discuss the origins and evolution of hip-hop dance, including its roots in African, Caribbean, and African-American dance traditions. Study the key elements of hip-hop dance, including its unique style, movement vocabulary, and musicality.
• Discuss the impact of hip-hop dance on popular culture , including its influence on music videos, films, fashion, and the entertainment industry. Analyze the social and cultural significance of hip-hop dance, including its role as a form of self-expression, community-building, and activism . Discuss the diversity and inclusion within hip-hop dance, including its ability to bring people of different backgrounds together.
• Describe any personal experiences or connections with hip-hop dance , and discuss how it has influenced your understanding of dance and culture. Convey your appreciation for hip-hop dance’s artistry, creativity, and cultural relevance. Provide insights into this dynamic and influential dance form.

Why Dance Is a Sport: Essay Prompt

There’s been a long-lasting debate about whether dance should be considered an art or a sport. You can present your opinion on this issue in your essay. Here is a prompt to guide you:

• Study the arguments on both sides of the debate and articulate your stance. Discuss the physical demands of dance, including athleticism, strength, and endurance. Compare them to the criteria used to define sports.
• Explore the competitive nature of dance , including competitions, rankings, and performance expectations . Discuss the training, dedication, and discipline required for dance and compare them to other recognized sports.
• Examine the artistic and creative elements of dance and how they may differentiate dance from traditional sports. Discuss any challenges or controversies surrounding the classification of dance as a sport. It might be the lack of standardized rules, funding, and recognition.
• Consider the cultural, historical, and societal factors influencing perceptions of dance as a sport. Present your argument supported by evidence and examples. Provide a nuanced perspective on this complex and debated topic.

Below, you’ll find plenty of ideas for a college essay about dance. Read on to find a suitable topic for your paper!

Modern Dance Essay: Topics

Modern dance significantly differs from traditional dance forms like ballet. Nowadays, dancers prioritize emotional expression instead of following rigid rules. Here are some interesting dance titles & ideas for your essay on modern styles:

• The diversity of contemporary dance styles.
• Psychological determinants of choosing a particular dance style.
• Creative Movement and Dance in My School.
• Sociopolitical concerns through the prism of dance.
• Modern dance as a form of protest against classical dance.
• Modern Black dance: race in motion.
• Significant people who contributed to the modernization of dance.
• Features of post-modern dance.
• Art Therapy: Creativity as a Critical Part of Art Therapy .
• The new American dance forms.
• Modern dance in the US vs. Europe: differences and similarities.
• Injuries in modern dance: career options for dancers.
• The concepts of modernity, race, and nation in the early modern dance forms.
• Oxygen uptake during a modern dance class.
• Physical Therapy Services for Sports Injuries .
• Socio-demographic correlates of modern dance genre preferences.
• Indian modern dance and feminism.
• Self-expression in modern dance.
• National and transnational modern dance.
• Principles of modern dance therapy.
• Regular engagement in modern dance and depression treatment .
• Modern dance pioneers who revolutionized this art: a case of Lester Horton.
• Incorporating Physical Activity into Lesson Plans.
• Mood changes of people attending dance classes.
• Modern dance classes: can one learn to dance online?
• Evolving gay stereotypes in modern dance.
• Dance as a reflection of culture.
• Depression and Physical Exercise .
• German modern dance during the Nazi rule.
• Body image and modern dance engagement.
• Eating disorders in professional modern dancers.
• Significant elements of modern dance.
• Dance as a hobby and professional activity.
• Art Education, Its Role and Benefits.
• Examples of popular modern dance styles.
• Controversial dance practices.
• Is folk dance considered modern dance?
• Does modern dance come with serious choreography similar to classical dance?
• Class and ethnicity reflected in dance.
• Physical Activity and Sports Team Participation .
• Modern dance in France.
• The transformative power of flamenco dancing.

Dance Critique Essay: Topics

A dance critique essay requires you to evaluate carefully a particular dance performance or a specific aspect of this art form. Check out some dance titles for an essay to inspire your critical response :

• Degradation of dance quality in the 21st century.
• Passion versus physical characteristics in dance performance.
• Racism and gender discrimination at the dance competitions.
• Gender inequality in professional dance.
• Subway dance – a subculture or simply a weird place for practice?
• Dancing and Its Effects on Self-Esteem .
• How did industrialization contribute to the departure from classical dance?
• The rise of burlesque as a rebellion against ballet.
• The Role of Music and Movement in Education.
• The ideology and importance of radical dance.
• The Wigman technique of dance.
• José Limón’s contribution to contemporary dance.
• The place and influence of the American Dance Festival in modern American dance traditions.
• Art, Music, and Dance in Therapeutic Treatment .
• Combination of choreography and multimedia in Alwin Nikolais’s works.
• The flaws and loopholes of early modern dance.
• Popularization of African American dance across the world.
• Ballet elements in contemporary dance.
• The Importance of Arts in the School Curriculum .
• The contribution of Grete Wiesenthal to modern dance development.
• What place does concert dance occupy in the dance typology?
• Place of women in dance – now and then.
• Differences between modern and contemporary dance styles.
• Pole dance’s potential for inclusion in the Olympic Games list.

Dance Reflection Essay: Topic Ideas

Are you looking for thought-provoking dance topics to talk about in a reflection paper ? Check out the list below:

• What features and character traits should a good dance teacher possess?
• What does it mean to be a dance revolutionary?
• What did modern dance pioneers do to create new dance types?
• Should professional dance be taught in college?
• Sports Psychologist: Working With Athletes .
• The national dance of my country.
• My first experience in a dance class.
• My music preferences for dancing.
• Dances with Wolves Essay – Movie Analysis .
• Dancing as a personal form of relaxation and meditation.
• Why do some people prefer dancing alone at home and others need an audience?
• My favorite movie about dancing.
• Ballet as my passion and my greatest disappointment.
• My opinion of dancing as a profession.
• Music in the Service of Social Movements .
• Importance of dancing in my culture .
• What I think makes a good and bad dancer.
• My experience of participating in a dance contest.
• The role of dance in my family.
• My fascination with Indian dance.
• My dream is to become a hip-hop dancer.
• Benefits I see in regular dancing.
• The pros and cons of professional engagement in dance.

There are some controversial issues related to dance you can explore in your paper. Below, you’ll discover a list of dance topics to express your reasoned opinion about.

• Dance can be a tool for social change .
• How can culture be reflected through dance?
• Should College Athletes Be Paid?
• The impact of the environment on dance perception.
• The importance of dance styles and types for specific cultures.
• Dance as an intangible cultural heritage.
• Is dance a kind of sport?
• Sports-Related Problems and Conflicts .
• Why do people start to dance?
• Why is the audience attracted to dance performances?
• What is the motivation behind starting to dance at an early age?
• Why is contemporary dance more popular than classical dance today?
• The Cognitive Performance and Physical Activity Link.
• Are modern dance styles, like hip hop, easier than ballet dancing?
• Dance training is highly traumatic and shouldn’t be practiced at an early age.
• The risk of trauma and permanent injury among professional ballet dancers.
• Street dance is not serious dance.
• Exercise – The Mind and Body Connection .
• The impact of motivation and self-confidence on dance performance.
• Dancing positively affects the physical and cognitive health of aging adults.
• Dance is a tool against aging .
• Different dance styles and genres require different physical endurance and energy expenditure.
• Music Incorporation into Classes.
• Importance of choosing your dance style according to your BMI and bodily peculiarities.
• Partner dancing is healthier for motor control and coordination than solo dancing.
• Benefits of ballroom dancing.
• The economic effect of dance development.
• What is the hardest dance style?
• Cultural Appropriation in Music .
• Ghost dance as a religious movement.
• Electronic dance as a new subculture.
• Techniques of dancing to jazz music.
• Flamenco dance as a reflection of Spanish passion.
• Students’ Motivation and Satisfaction of Music Festival .
• Cultural significance of feminist dance films.
• The impact of proper nutrition on dance performance.
• The art of staging a dance performance.
• The social significance of street dance.
• Creative Art Therapy for Mental Illness .
• What does dance have to do with math?
• Belly dance as a recreational activity.
• Interpretative dance as a strong therapeutic tool.
• The use of dance therapy for individuals with Down syndrome .

Hip-hop dance is a popular street dance style that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. It encourages freedom of expression and is characterized by freestyle movements, particularly drops to the ground and sharp turns. If you seek to write a paper on hip-hop, here are catchy dance titles to inspire you:

• The role of dance in hip-hop culture.
• Chinese Hip Hop and Identity .
• Hip-hop dance and body power.
• Hip-hop as an African diaspora dance style.
• Meanings and messages in hip-hop dance.
• Genders, Sexuality, and Hip-Hop .
• Origins of hip-hop.
• Injury incidence in hip-hop training and performance.
• Commercialization of hip-hop dance.
• Core elements of hip-hop dancing.
• The Uprising of Hip-Hop: Music History .
• Hip-hop dance in modern ballet choreography.
• Low back pain in hip-hop dancers.
• B-boying in hip-hop.
• Motivations of hip-hop dancers for professional engagement with this dance style.
• The “breaks” concept in break dancing.
• The Evolution of Hip-Hop Culture .
• The roots of hip-hop choreography.
• Battling among hip-hop crews.
• Hip-hop scandals – sex and violence in hip-hop content.
• Theorizing hip-hop dance.
• Hip-Hop’s Response to Crime Analysis .
• Hip-hop dance consumption: who is the target audience?
• Globalization and hip-hop dancing.
• Principles of hip-hop dance codification.
• Hip-hop as a black social dance.
• Metaphors in hip-hop dance moves.
• Black feminism in hip-hop dance.
• Concepts of Elite Culture and Popular Culture .
• US Ebonics as the language of American hip-hop choreography.
• Extreme kinematics in hip-hop performances.
• What injuries are the most common among hip-hop dancers?
• Can hip-hop be a professional career?
• Basic rhythmic movements of hip-hop dance.
• Hip-hop practice’s impact on the dancer’s mood.
• Body poetics in hip-hop performances.
• Standards for judging hip-hop contests.
• Cultural Movement: Hip-Hop Related Films .
• Le hip hop – a French hip-hop subculture.
• The hip-hop culture in New York.
• Perceptions of race in the hip-hop community: white vs. black dancers.
• Hip-hop theater in London: a new level of dance style’s legitimization.

Do you want to learn more about dance? Then why not write a research paper on that? Below, you’ll discover a list of engaging dance topics to research.

• Novel approaches to dance: a blend with architecture at the Barnes Foundation’s exhibition.
• Dance from an anthropological perspective .
• Politics and poetics in dance.
• The biology of dance movements’ language.
• Teaching dance: should it be art or sport?
• Dance ethnology.
• Women in dance since antiquity : the images of sylphs and sirens.
• Philosophy of the dance: universal or nationally bound?
• What is a dance movement?
• Dancing and the brain.
• Psychology of dance.
• Dance as a mighty psychotherapeutic tool.
• Should national dance be included in the school curriculum?
• Living through psychological trauma in dance.
• The role of dance improvisations.
• Reform and revival of old dance styles.
• The role of space and subjectivity in dance.
• Shakespeare and the dance tradition of England.
• The social anthropology of dance performances.
• Theories and methodologies in dance research.
• A Eurocentric approach to the study of dance.
• Dance and the body.
• Dance as a method of self-study.
• Computer technology and dance.
• The evolution of Irish dance.
• The contribution of Merce Cunningham to modern dance.
• How does dance stimulate social fantasy?
• Partner dancing as a way to strengthen relationships in a couple .
• Verbal language of dancers and choreographers.
• The political side of national dancing.
• Dance and physics.
• The mind-body concept in dance.
• What can be regarded as contemporary dance?
• Dance imagery in various dance styles.
• What makes people dance? The philosophy of bodily movement.
• Dancing out one’s emotions: the dance of anger or happiness.
• The neural basis of human dance movements.
• Isadora Duncan’s revolutionary dance theory.
• The challenges of the interactive dance genre.
• Dance from the position of existential phenomenology.
• Dualism and body-soul separation: a dance perspective.
• Dance and embodiment.
• Dance and self: a philosophical perspective.
• Body as object vs. subject in dance.
• Freedom and intention in body movements during dance.
• Staged dance: the concept of created body.
• A tension between the personal and the universal in dance.
• Health benefits of recreational and professional dance.
• Japanese dance as an embodiment of culture.
• Turning body and identity into dance choreography.

The history of dance dates back millennia. So, there is so much to explore! Check out possible dance research project ideas for your history paper:

• Approaches to rethinking dance history.
• The elements of early European modern dance.
• Feminist perspectives on dance history.
• Dance at the dawn of history.
• History of somatic education and its relationship to dance.
• History of classic theatrical dancing.
• New media use in dance history reconstructions.
• The evolution of dance and sexuality relationship.
• Tools for capturing dance from the past.
• Dances in prehistory.
• Early records of dance performances in historical manuscripts.
• Ancient Greek dance traditions and forms.
• Dancing in Ancient Rome.
• Dance at court: the 16th-17th centuries in Europe.
• Evolution of dance from royal court to theater in the 18th century.
• The early dancing traditions in the 17th-century US.
• Dancing genres in Medieval Europe.
• The history of waltz: origin, evolution of dance elements, and traditions.
• How did the tango dance emerge?
• The emergence of belly dance.
• Flamenco dance history: a style born in Andalusia.
• Historical perspectives on dance research.
• The Ojibwa dance drum: history of the practice.
• Yoeme performs as a narrative of Yaqui history.
• The evolution of African American dance.
• The African roots of Latin American popular dance.
• Ethnographic elements of modern dance performances.
• The dance halls of Britain, 1918-1960.
• A historical overview of social dance.
• Global history of dance development.
• Dance in the French baroque opera.
• The history and meaning of tango dancing in Argentina.
• What materials to use when studying dance history?
• A cultural history of dance in the troubled areas: a case study of Palestine.
• The hidden history of capoeira: intersections of battle craft and dance.

Ballet is a highly formalized dance form with rigid rules and predefined positions. If you’re interested in this classical type of choreography, check out the dance research topics below:

• Is free dance a subtype of ballet?
• The evolution of ballet traditions by Isadora Duncan.
• Russo-American ballet at the start of the 20th century.
• Emerging American ballet: the 1930s onwards.
• Romantic and classical ballet traditions in the 19th century.
• Classical ballet in Russia.
• Classical ballet vs. modern dance: key similarities.
• Injuries in professional ballet.
• Static and functional balance in ballet dance.
• Ballet as a form of ethnic dance.
• The impact of ballet dance attire on female dancers’ self-perception.
• Endurance of pain among ballet dancers.
• The concept of the ideal ballet body.
• Methods of preventing hip and knee injuries in professional ballet.
• Physiological eligibility characteristics for classical ballet.
• Evolution of ballet dancer identity in the process of training.
• Incidence of sprained ankles in ballet dancers.
• Physiological responses to active ballet exercise among dancers of different ages.
• Importance of artistic performance ability in ballet dancers.
• Disordered eating patterns among ballet dancers.
• Management of stress fractures in ballet dancers.
• Ballet dancer career: an international perspective.
• Incidence of scoliosis in young ballet dancers.
• Travesty dancing in the 19th-century ballet tradition.
• Gender issues in ballet.
• The cultural power of ballet.
• Degenerative joint disease risks among female ballet trainees.
• Hip arthrosis as a long-term consequence of ballet training.
• History of the “Apollo’s Angels” ballet.
• Sleep quality in professional ballet dancers.
• Heteromasculinity images among male ballet dancers.
• Postural stability before and after a ballet injury.
• Dance classicism as an ideology.
• Royal Ballet’s dancers and body perception.
• How do professional ballet dancers perceive injury and aging?

Are you looking for research topics about dance in the form of questions? We’ve got you covered! Look through the list below to find good dance topics to research:

• How does dance education foster creativity in children?
• How do feminists view belly dance?
• What is the impact of technology on dance performances?
• How to preserve indigenous peoples’ traditional dance forms?
• How have traditional gender roles been challenged through dance?
• What creative strategies do choreographers employ?
• What is the impact of dance on community building?
• What factors contribute to the commercialization of dance?
• How does dance function as a means of storytelling?
• What is the link between dance and spirituality in different religions?
• What is the role of costumes and stage design in dance performances?
• What are the cognitive benefits of dance for older adults?
• How has ballet adapted to modern artistic movements?
• How has globalization affected the cross-cultural exchange of dance styles?
• What dance styles have been influenced by flamenco?

Do you need help writing an essay on dance? Below, we’ve prepared a short guide with examples. Read on to learn how to write each section of your dance essay.

Dance Essay Introduction

The introduction is the opening paragraph of an essay that should engage the readers. Use a hook to grab the readers’ interest and introduce your topic. It can be a catchy quote, interesting question, or controversial statement.

Hook example : Imagine a world where bodies move in perfect harmony, telling stories without words. That’s the magic of dance, an art form that transcends language and culture, captivating audiences for centuries.

After that, you can provide some background information about the subject. End your introduction with a thesis statement .

Thesis Statement about Dance

The thesis statement outlines the central argument or purpose of the essay. It is the last sentence of your introduction, summarizing the whole paper. Your thesis should include all the main points mentioned in your writing in the same sequence.

Dance thesis example : Dance is not only a form of artistic expression but also a means of communication, a tool for personal growth, and a reflection of cultural identity.

Essay about Dance: Body Paragraphs

The essay’s body contains paragraphs that provide evidence and support for the thesis statement. Each section should begin with a topic sentence that presents a point related to your central argument.

Topic sentence example : One significant aspect of dance is its ability to convey emotions and stories through movement.

Evidence, such as examples, facts, or research, should support the topic sentence. The evidence should be analyzed and explained to show how it supports the thesis statement.

Evidence example : In classical ballet, dancers’ graceful movements and facial expressions can portray a wide range of emotions, from love and joy to sorrow and anger.

Dancing Essay: Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part that summarizes the main points made in the essay’s body. It should also restate the thesis statement in a paraphrased form without introducing new information. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression and a sense of closure.

Conclusion example : In conclusion, dance is a powerful form of expression beyond mere movement. It is a universal language conveying emotions, facilitating personal growth, and reflecting cultural identity.

How to Describe Dancing: Words & Tips

When describing dancing in an essay, use vivid and sensory language to convey the experience. Words such as “graceful,” “rhythmic,” “expressive,” and “dynamic” can capture the movement and style of dancing.

Emotive words like “joy,” “passion,” “energy,” and “freedom” can convey the emotional impact of dancing. Describing the physical sensations of dancing can make the description more immersive. You can write about the feeling of one’s body in motion, the sound of feet tapping, the swish of skirts, or the rush of adrenaline.

Metaphors or similes, such as “floating like a butterfly,” can add depth and creativity. Overall, using vivid language that engages the senses and emotions will benefit your paper.

We hope you found a perfect essay topic in this article. Use our free online title generator to get even more creative topics about dance and writing inspiration.

• Dance 260: Introduction to Dance: Dance Topics | BYU Library
• Dance: Topics in Dance and Dance History | Utah Tech University Library
• Research Areas | UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
• Dance | PBS Learning Media
• Dancing Styles | Boston University
• Dance 260: Introduction to Dance: Research Help | BYU Library
• Writing a Dance Critique | Utah Tech University Library
• Glossary for Dance | Connecticut’s Official State Website
• Guidelines For Writing a Dance Review | Human Kinetics

414 Proposal Essay Topics for Projects, Research, & Proposal Arguments

725 research proposal topics & title ideas in education, psychology, business, & more.

Dance Research Paper Topics

Table of Contents

60+ Dance Research Paper Topics: Choose the Best Idea and Score A+

Dance research is becoming popular right now, and if you have this subject as your major, you may find yourself working on this subject now and then. Occasionally, researching this field may be fun if you know what to do.

However, for a variety of reasons, it is not always a quick thing. First, you may be too exhausted to finish a clear, well-written work with reliable research data and well-structured ideas. Next, you may lack thorough knowledge of the subject, requiring more study time. Lastly, you may be overburdened with other responsibilities, leaving you with no time to complete a home task well.

Sometimes, students get stuck at the initial stage – topic selection – with no ideas in mind. Luckily, we’ve put up a list of helpful, engaging, and interesting research paper topics about dance . They’re sure to help you get started quickly and compose an attention-grabbing piece.

How to Select the Best Dance Research Paper Topic?

Choosing a research topic may be one of the most challenging aspects of the work. It’s natural to feel intimidated when you’re gazing at a field filled with opportunities.

However, we’ve compiled a list of steps for choosing a research topic that will guide you through the process from broad conceptualizing to precise, well-focused study objectives and arguments:

• Make a list of possible study topics.
• Choose a subject.
• Create an outline and do more research on your subject.
• Turn your topic into a question.
• Make an outline and do further research on your topic.

List of Dance Research Paper Topics: 15 Ideas for a Quick Start

• What is the origin of dancing?
• Why do people begin to dance?
• What attracts people to dance, and what makes dance performances so entertaining to watch?
• What is the origin of the Tango dance, and when did it start?
• What lessons can we take away from dancing?
• What is the significance of each country having its own cultural dance?
• What makes dancing so intimate?
• What are the health advantages of dancing ?
• What makes dancing so enjoyable in our youth generations?
• What are the drawbacks of dancing?
• What are the top five dances performed across the globe today?
• Is dance capable of motivating us to accomplish more in life and with our partners?
• What are some of the world’s most passionate dances?
• Is it possible to identify a person’s character based on how they dance at a bar?
• What makes dancing so alluring to today’s young people?

10 Dance History Research Paper Topics

• The oldest historical evidence of dance.
• The history of medieval dancing in Europe.
• The long and illustrious history of contemporary dance in Europe.
• The most popular dances today.
• The contemporary era’s most romantic dance.
• The beginning of the dance competition.
• The world’s first ballroom dance.
• The world’s first tango performer.
• The most well-known religious and ceremonial dances.
• The history of Waltz.

10 Modern Dance Research Paper Topics

• Ballet’s evolution throughout the Renaissance Era.
• The advancements in modern dance.
• The most popular hip-hop dance styles.
• The dramatic and spontaneous body movements of Jazz dancing.
• What is the history of tap dancing, and why do performers use metal taps?
• Different civilizations’ folk dances.
• The nation’s development of contemporary dance.
• The famous contemporary performers.
• The most prominent modern dance in today’s generation.
• What makes contemporary dancing so prevalent?

10 Dance Kinesiology Research Paper Topics

• Biomechanical Analysis of Dance Techniques: Investigating the biomechanics of specific dance movements, such as turns, jumps, or extensions, and analyzing the optimal techniques for execution.
• Injury Prevention in Dance: Examining strategies and interventions to prevent dance-related injuries, including warm-up protocols, conditioning exercises, and proper technique training.
• Dance Training and Motor Skill Acquisition: Analyzing the motor skill learning process in dance training, exploring the factors that influence skill acquisition, retention, and transfer in dancers.
• Muscle Activation Patterns in Dance: Investigating the activation patterns of specific muscles during dance movements, analyzing the coordination and sequencing of muscle activation in different dance styles.
• Effects of Dance Training on Postural Control: Examining the impact of dance training on postural control and balance abilities, exploring the underlying mechanisms and potential applications for injury prevention.
• Flexibility Training in Dance: Analyzing the different methods and approaches to improving flexibility in dancers, exploring the effects of stretching techniques on range of motion and performance.
• Psychological Factors in Dance Performance: Investigating the psychological aspects of dance performance, such as motivation, self-confidence, and performance anxiety, and their influence on movement quality and artistic expression.
• Dance and Aging: Examining the effects of dance training and participation on physical and cognitive health in older adults, exploring the potential benefits for maintaining mobility, balance, and cognitive function.
• Energy Expenditure in Dance: Analyzing the energy demands of different dance styles and genres, studying the physiological responses and metabolic pathways involved in dance performance.
• Motor Control and Coordination in Partner Dancing: Investigating the motor control and coordination processes involved in partner dancing, analyzing the interaction between dancers and the communication of movement cues.

10 Dance Research Paper Ideas

• The benefits of ballroom dancing as leisure.
• Dance’s economic effect on Ireland.
• The various kinds of dance genres.
• The development of street dancing.
• The cultural and historical perspective of dance.
• Dance in the Medieval Era.
• What’s the most romantic dance in the middle ages?
• What are the most important aspects of dance ?
• What are the five most popular partner dances?
• What is the most challenging dancing style?

More Ideas for a Good Paper

Here are a few more suggestions from our professionals to help you accomplish your research article with less time, effort, and resources spent.

Write About Your Passion

When you’re passionate about a subject, it’s always simpler to write on it. You’ll be much more inspired to perform extensive research and produce a paper that genuinely tackles the topic. Moreover, picking up such a topic for your research will deepen your knowledge on the subject of your interest.

Find Sufficient Evidence to Compose a Good Essay

Even though you might be excited about the subject and know much about it, you will not be able to create an outstanding paper without backing up your arguments with reliable evidence. Substantial research is necessary to convince your readers and make your arguments valuable.

Furthermore, it’s challenging to write on a scarcely researched topic, so conduct some exploratory study before deciding on a topic to ensure you’ll get all the material you need to produce your home task.

Follow Your Professor’s Instructions

Don’t get too caught up in googling topics and choosing among hundreds of available options. In most cases, your supervisor has already assigned a concrete subject or a set of options from which you need to choose.

For instance, if you’re passionate about news affairs, but your professor requires you to compose a research paper on a historical subject, you might be able to find a subject that meets both criteria. The same goes for studies about dance; once you are assigned a particular topic or a broader subject within which you should choose a narrower theme, follow your supervisor’s guidelines closely.

And the Best Idea Is…

When completing an interesting, impressive home assignment, it’s common to run out of ideas, knowledge, or creativity. Such scenarios are common because learners are frequently trapped between several constraints and cannot devote sufficient attention to all assignments.

But don’t worry; we offer a great solution to this challenge. Our skilled paper writers will preserve your marks and provide you with peace of mind. Contact us now to obtain a quality dance paper and earn your A’s easily.

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13.7 Cosmos & Culture

Dancing to the tune of ph.d..

Tania Lombrozo

If you've ever sat through a (long, long) university graduation ceremony, you may have taken the time to peruse the dissertation titles of graduating doctoral students. Depending on the university and department, you'd probably find a sampling something like this:

Preliminary Measurements For An Electron EDM Experiment In ThO ( Yulia Gurevich, 2012, Harvard University ) Higher-order Chromatin Organization In Hematopoietic Transcription ( Wulan Deng, 2013, University of Pennsylvania ) Internalism, Practical Relations, And Psychologism ( Colin Patrick, 2012, University of Chicago ) Anxiety And Stress: Interactions Between Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Peptide And The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis ( Kimberly M. Lezak, 2012-2013, The University of Vermont ) Immunogenicity Of Gold Nanoshell/Silica Core Nanoplasmonics And Photothermal Induced-Cell Death ( Hai T. Nguyen, 2012, University of Washington )

Wouldn't it be nice to know what these actually mean? To have a transparent glimpse into the nation's cutting edge research and its practical and theoretical implications?

Of course, it's no accident that Ph.D. dissertations rarely make it as mass-market paperbacks or inspire popular sitcoms. There's a reason it takes four (or five or six or seven ... ) years to complete a Ph.D., and there's an important role for communicating as an expert to experts.

But, increasingly, there have been efforts to make contemporary science more interesting and accessible to a broad public, including forums for scientists to share "plain English" versions of their scientific abstracts, podcasts and audio programs for non-experts (such as Science Friday and RadioLab ), and the open science movement more generally. A great example that stretches beyond science is Philosophy Talk , a radio program and podcast where you can hear two philosophers and their guests work through difficult conundrums with minimal jargon (and with no footnotes — a remarkable feat for the philosophically trained).

Among the most creative ways to translate contemporary science — and, in particular, the topics of doctoral dissertations — into a popular form comes from the Dance Your Ph.D. contest . Sponsored by Science magazine and the American Association for the Advancement of Science ( AAAS ), the competition invites doctoral students and Ph.D. recipients to explain their research through interpretive dance.

The 2013 winner , announced last Thursday, was Cedric Tan, a biology Ph.D. whose dissertation was titled "Sperm Competition Between Brothers And Female Choice." It's eye-catching.

The Reader Favorite Award went to the submission from Andres Florez , a Ph.D. at the Cancer Research Center at Heidelberg, who translated his work on cancer cell biology with Latin American flair.

But all 31 submissions deserve a round of applause. Among my favorites, psychology Ph.D. student Tina Sundelin's entry , "Sleep Loss In A Social World," presents the effects of sleep deprivation with a parallel report of two days: one after a poor night's sleep and one after a good night's sleep. Neuroscience Ph.D. Julia Basso's submission , "Investigation Of The Behavioral Processes And Neurobiological Substrates involved in the motivation for voluntary wheel running in the rat," features an effective combination of dance and informative text, with an oddly humanizing portrayal of invasive animal research. Plenty of other entries are worth a view.

Admittedly, these videos won't teach you much science. But they might just inspire you to read up on sexual conflicts in Odonates or the bioeconomic consequences of climate change . And they might help combat narrow stereotypes about scientists' interests and abilities . As I've argued before, we need more scientists who dance salsa , and the Dance Your Ph.D. contest is a nice showcase for those who already do.

You can keep up with more of what Tania Lombrozo is thinking on Twitter: @TaniaLombrozo

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Online Dissertation Resources

Dissertations, useful links to online dissertations and theses, university of roehampton theses & masters dissertations, using a thesis held in the roehampton repository in your own work, academic writing style guides.

• Postgraduates & Researchers This link opens in a new window
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We have a range of online resources to help plan, write and finish your dissertation. Although this is aimed primarily at 3rd Year Undergraduates and Postgraduate Taught students, it contains information that can be useful to Postgraduate Research Students.

• Sage Research Methods (Library Database) Provides a range of useful tools including a Project Planner, which breaks down each stage of your research from defining your topic, reviewing the literature to summarising and writing up.
• Literature Reviews Checklist - Handout
• Components of a Dissertation (document) A useful guide to the central components of a dissertation. By the end you should be able to: --Understand the core elements that should be in your dissertation --Understand the structure and progression of a strong dissertation
• Dissertation Workshop - Handouts Includes a planning template and outline
• Dissertation Workshop Slides
• Writing Your Dissertation Guide - Handout

Other Resources

• Reading Strategies (PDF document) An interactive document on reading at university.
• How To Write A Literature Review Video - Queen's University Belfast 10 minute video
• Start to Finish Dissertations Online Webinar from Manchester
• A to Z of Literature Reviews - University of Manchester 20 minute tutorial
• Appendices A short example of how to use and cite appendices in your dissertations, essays or projects

Check out these recordings to help you through your Dissertation writing process, from start to finish. 

• Starting Your Dissertation (Video) 46 minutes This webinar recording will help you with the early stages of planning, researching and writing your dissertation. By the end you should be able to: --Understand the challenges and opportunities of writing a dissertation --Move towards refining your subject and title --Know what steps to take to progress with your dissertation
• Writing Your Dissertation (Video) 52 minutes This webinar recording will help guide you through the middle stages of writing your dissertation. By the end you should be able to: --Identify the key parts of a high quality dissertation --Understand how to structure your dissertation effectively --Know how to increase the fluency and strength of your argument across an extended piece of writing 
• Finishing Your Dissertation (Video) 59 minutes This webinar recording aims to guide you through the final stages of writing your dissertation. By the end you should be able to: --Identify key features that should be included in your dissertation --Know how to ensure your dissertation has a strong and cohesive structure --Proofread your work.
• Using Word to Format Long Documents (Video) 1 hour and 22 minutes A video tutorial on how to format long documents such as Essays and Dissertations using Word. By the end you should be able to: --Create a Table of Contents --Know how to insert page numbers --Be familiar with how to use the various auto-formatting and styles functions to manage longer documents

A selection of external sources that would be of particular use to 3rd Year Undergraduate students and Postgraduate students. 

Please note that the Library does not hold Undergraduate or Masters Dissertations. For information on print and online doctoral theses please see below information on University of Roehampton Thesis Collection

National thesis service provided by the British Library which aims to maximise the visibility and availability of the UK's doctoral theses. NOTE: EthOS is currently unavailable due to ongoing issues following a serious cyber security incident at the BL (January 2024). 

EBSCO Open Dissertations is an online thesis and dissertation database with access to over 800,000 electronic theses and dissertations worldwide.

• DART-Europe E-theses Portal Free access to nearly 800,000 open access research theses from 615 universities in 28 European countries.
• Open Access Theses and Dissertations OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions. OATD currently indexes 5,153,410 theses and dissertations.

The university holds a selection of theses and master dissertations awarded by the University of Roehampton.

2013 onwards, Digital Theses

Roehampton Research Explorer - Student Theses

Theses subject to an embargo are not accessible digitally or in hard copy until the embargo period elapses. Embargoes may be applied to protect the rights of the author whilst they explore opportunities for publication, or where sensitive information is held within the thesis.

Please note  that there is a short delay in recently submitted theses appearing on our repository. If you cannot find the thesis you are looking for, please  contact the Research Office .

2004-2013, Print Theses & Masters Dissertations

The University holds a print Theses Collection (including some Masters dissertations) on the 2 nd Floor of the Library. The holdings are not complete as the criteria for inclusion was set by academic departments, and threshold varied between department. Not all student work would be made available to view. The selected works were intended to provide examples of work for students. Some examples were kept in-house, used for teaching purposes, and not available within the library.  Library print holdings were usually kept for up to 10 years and reviewed for relevance.

To search for print theses and masters dissertations use UR Library Search to search for a title or topic and filter by Format > Book > Theses, Dissertation.

1985-2004, Roehampton Institute of Higher Education (RIHE)

Dissertations and theses published between 1985-2004 were awarded by the University of Surrey. The holdings are not complete as the criteria for inclusion was set by academic departments, and threshold varied between department. Not all student work would be made available to view. The selected works were intended to provide examples of work for students.

To search for digitised copies of RHIE theses go to the University of Surrey’s Open Research repository .

You may re-use material from a thesis in the same way you would any other source, i.e. by providing a full citation to the thesis in question, and by not re-using material in a way that may breach the rights of the author.

If you feel your own copyright has been affected by content held in the University of Roehampton repository, please refer to our take down policy and contact us immediately.

• Government Guidance on exceptions to copyright Details of the exceptions to copyright that allow limited use of copyright works without the permission of the copyright owner.
• Academic Style Guides Resource List See the style guides available in the Library for a variety of disciplines
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Thesis Guidelines

These guidelines pertain to the written portion of the MFA thesis.  

Every M.F.A thesis should include:

Introduction, which should include the "who, what, when, where, and why" kind of information, with definitions and delimiting, where appropriate. Your thesis may open with a straightforward statement of what your research questions are, or a story or description that enhances and leads to a statement of what the thesis will be about. Make sure this introduction really does make your study clear and comprehensible to the reader. This is the "tell us what you're going to tell us" section.

Review of the literature, what's been written about the topic before, or relevant writing from other fields, if dance literature hasn't addressed your topic before. This section may include background and contextualizing information deemed necessary for the reader to understand your territory. This is the "tell us what other people have already said that's relevant to the work you're doing" section.

Theory and Methodology. This may be a long or short explanation of how the student has gone about this study. In some cases, it can be an explanation of why one approach is preferred to another; in other cases, it could be a paragraph about primary use of archival or interview sources. This is the section where you show that you aren't just going out and collecting information randomly; you have a plan, and it's a plan based on what will work best to discover what you want to discover.

Body of the Thesis. This is the major description of your work, discoveries made, things uncovered, highlighted, analyzed, considered in depth. This is the "Tell us about it" section.

Conclusion. Recapitulation, assessment, and indication of strengths, weaknesses, and further directions suggested by the study. This is the "tell us what you told us" section.

Notes, Bibliography and Appendices. You can use endnotes, footnotes, intext citation, or a combination, as is appropriate and consistent with a style guide. Appendix material will vary from case to case, perhaps providing an extended background for a topic that would otherwise be too much of a detour in the main text. Tables and statistics would also be found in an appendix. A glossary may also be deemed useful when there are a number of unfamiliar terms to which the reader needs easy access.

Dance M.F.A. thesis checklist:

Follow a style guide (MLA, Chicago Manual of Style); using both in-text citation and footnotes (for longer explanations) is recommended. Keep a thesis notebook with all guiding questions, sources, and advice in one place.

Use headings that will help you define the section of the work you are going to cover, making each section clear within the body of the thesis. Make sure each title relates to what follows and that the sections follow each other logically. Identify everyone you mention in the text (dance historian Wendy Hilton; anthropologist Margaret Mead; dance critic Anna Kisselgoff; dance historian Sally Banes, who has chronicled and commented upon the Judson era extensively, etc).

Make sure you define all key terms, either in the text or at length in a note or glossary. The way you use terms such as "modern dance," "authentic," "natural," or "ritual" may not be as familiar or acceptable to your reader as you think.

Explain the relevance of who and what you quote. Have you assessed and chosen the best examples of sources to make your point? Do you know who is predominate in a given field, especially when it comes to current work in Dance Studies?

Tell the reader why you are quoting at length, if you do, or why you use a particular quotation. Tell the reader why you are describing a scene or a study you read about; don't just expect them to follow you without "guideposts" that keep your source material related to your study.

Write in a way that makes very clear when your source is "talking" and when the opinions and conclusions are yours.

Avoid sweeping generalizations that are unprovable ("Audiences for years have been cheered up by this particular ballet") and statements that start "it is generally agreed that..." or "everyone knows that...".

Notice the date of your sources and assess the currency of the scholarship.

Follow the department's or your thesis adviser's suggested timeline, and make sure your thesis committee members have drafts or the final thesis in time to give you feedback that might necessitate revisions. Expect suggestions and/or demands; your chair will help you sift through which are the most important.

Be attentive to organization, as well as spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Read, re-read and edit constantly before submitting drafts or final copies. Reading out loud and finding a proofreader should be standard practice during the writing, re-writing and editing process.

Pictured: UC Irvine dancers in "Ootoo" by John Crawford and Lisa Naugle, an Active Space telematic performance, 2008.

Dissertations and Theses

The dissertation is the culminating project for the PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies. A formal proposal for a dissertation should be submitted for the endorsement of the Graduate Faculty. See the department's  Graduate Student Handbook  for proposal instructions. The Graduate Faculty will review the proposal. Sample proposals are on file in the department or by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies.

We welcome projects that include archival research, ethnography, critical theory, literary analysis, and performance studies. Dissertation work begins in the third year of the PhD program and is typically completed in a student's fourth or fifth year in the doctoral program.

Recent Dissertations and Theses

2023 – dissertations.

" Relajo y Joteria: Reimagining Family, Devotion, and Desire through the work of Teatro Alebrijes, 2011-2022 " ( Javier Hurtado )

"Who’s That Girl?”: Women Writing Women on the Broadway Stage " ( Jess Pearson-Bleyer )

2022 – Dissertations

" Americanizing Shakespeare in Print: Nineteeth Century American Illustrated Editions of Shakespeare as Representations of National Identity " ( Hesam Sharifian )

"New Game+: Memories Made in Virtual Worlds " (Peter Spearman)

2022 – Theses

"Balancing and Bending in Bling: The Aesthetics of the Acrobatic Latina Athlete" (Amelia Estrada)

“Perform Falling: Reframing Chinese Rural “Left-Behind” Children” (Wenxuan Xue)

2021 – Dissertations

"Cosmopolitan Performance and Its Ecologies in Interwar Shanghai" (Yizhou Huang)

"Defiant Acrobatic Bodies: Gender in the Performance of Ground Acrobatic Acts from the Inception of the Modern Anglo Circus" (Amy Meyer)

"Performing History in North Tulsa: Black Wall Street and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre" (Tara Brook Watkins)

2021 – Theses

"Processing the Pain of Others: Witinessing Semana Santa Penitents in Taxco Through Procession" (Whitney Brady-Guzmán)

"[W]righting the Highway: Black Counter-Maps and American Interstates" (Jenny Henderson)

2020  –  Theses

"Theatre in the Time of Cholera: Health, Medicine, and The Physician's Role on the American Stage 1832-1883" (Mia Levenson)

"Phantacamp: Queer Temporal Ruptures in the Performance of Restaged Camp" (Jo Rezes)

2019 – Dissertations

"Beyond Dahomey: The Legacy and Afterlife of the Williams and Walker Company 1902-1921" (Beck Holden) (Pat King) "Directing btween the Lines: Iranian Theatre and the Aesthetics of Ambiguity" (Reza Mirsajadi) "Homing a Turkish Diaspora: Turkish-American Women's Creative Labor" (Irem Seçil Rell Sen) "Inspiration, Countercultural Aesthetics, and Dissent: The Ilklhom Theatre of Mark Weil" (Irina Yakubovskaya) "Theories for Corporate Theatre" (Michael Morris)

2019 – Theses

"'ENOUGH OF THIS I'M NOTE LATINO ENOUGH BULLSHIT' The Social Re-Evaluative Eroticisms of Afro-Latinx Identities in U.S. Pop Culture" (Stephanie Engel)

"In Solidarity: Queer Appalachia's Zine Activism and the Radical Aesthetics of Homemaking." (Harry Hoke)

2018 – Dissertations

"An obvious caricature: The Consequences of Scientific Discourse on Theatrical Madness, 1807-1895" (Katherine Swimm) Brief Deceptive Rainbows: Cultural Memory in Productions of Tennessee Williams's  The Glass Menagerie ,  A Streetcar Named Desire , and  A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  (Daniel Ciba)

2018 – Theses

"But What if Instead We Imagine Black Life" Femininity, Performance, and the Black Lives Movement (Teri Incampo) The Man Within: Depictions of Blackness in Superhero Adaptations” (Peter Spearman)

2016 – Dissertations

"Black or Red? The Construction of Identity in Langston Hughes' Plays" (Katya Vrtis) "Forgotten Figures: The Rhetorical Function of Tecmessa, Chrysothemis, and Ismene in Tragedies of Sophocles and Selected Adaptations" (Tiffany Pounds-Williams) "Theatre of Common Sense: Ernie McClintock, Jazz Acting, and the Black Power Aesthetic (1965-2003)" (Ibby Cizmar)

2016 – Theses

"'Am I Not A Woman and A Sister?' Performance as Political Discourse in African American Women's Literary Societies" (Jenny Herron) "Staging as Youth Culture in Colonial-Modern Shanghai: Student Theatre from the 1890s-1920s" (Yizhou Huang)

2015 – Dissertations

"American Billing: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Shakespeare" (Danielle Rosvally) "The American Pipe Dream: Drug Addiction on Stage 1890-1940" (Max Shulman) "Arab and Muslim American Female Playwrights: Resistance and Revision through Solo Performance" (Megan Stahl) "Freaks, Beasts, and Gadgets: Performing Order and Disorder in Early America" (Matthew DiCintio) "Constructing the Sensorium: Neoliberalism and Aesthetic Practice in Neoliberal Theatre" (Paul Masters) "Cultural Improvisations: Luigi Riccoboni and the Nouveau Theatre Italien" (Matthew McMahan) "Documenting Rehearsal for Revolution: Theory, Practice, and Praxis in Theatre of the Oppressed" (Betsy Goldman)

2015 – Theses

"'Of Thee We Sing:' Microhistories of the Northeastern United States through the Lens of American Folkloric Opera" (Christian Krenek) "Spectrums of Truth: Transcribing Reality in the Documentary Musical" (Reza Mirsajadi)

Search the Archive

Dissertations and theses by our graduate are catalogued in the  Dissertations & Theses @ Tufts University  database. In the "Advanced Search" option, search for "drama" in the "Department – DEP" category.  Dissertations & Theses @ Tufts  provides full text for:

• Most PhD dissertations issued after 1996
• Most master's theses issued after 2005

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Body in space : the sensual experience of architecture and dance

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Architecture for dance: An analysis of traditional dance pavilions of India

Related Papers

Dancing Architecture: The parallel evolution of Bharatanatyam and South Indian Architecture

Tracey Eve Winton

In her book, "Indian Classical dance", Kapila Vatsyayan describes dance as the highest order of spiritual discipline, the enactment of which is symbolic of a ritual sacrifice of one's being to a transcendental order. The Natya-Shashtra, a treatise on drama and dance, reveals the status of the performing arts as equal to prayer and sacrificial rites in the pursuit of moksha, the release form cycles of rebirth. Both dance and dancer function as a vehicle for divine invocation and are mirrored in the architectural surroundings. To investigate this connection between dance and place, it is imperative to understand the mythical origins of architecture and temple dance. the Hindu philosophy of the cosmic man and its religious relationship with the Dravidian architecture of Tamil Nadu is the starting point of the discussion of a south Indian aesthetic. The Vastu-purusha mandala is a philosophical diagram that provides a foundation for Hindu aesthetics, linking physical distance, religious position and universal scale in both time and space. Used as an architectural diagram, it becomes a mediator between the human body and the cosmos. The temple, as a setting for dance performances, and constructed based on the mandala, shares this quality of immersing its participants into a multi-sensory spatial experience. However, while the link between architecture and dance culture was explicit up to the 18th century, it is less compelling in the context of modern south Indian architecture. With an increasingly unstable political landscape during the 20th century, architectural growth in south India during this period is almost stagnant. Unfortunately, this creates a break in the continuity and comparative evolution of dance and architecture, leading to the fragmentation and abstraction of dance in its modern form. South Indian dance has since transformed into a prominent cultural symbol and various incarnations of the dancer have become the isolated yet important link, between tradition and modernity. As an evolving living embodiment of contemporary culture and identity, her transformation from Devadasi, to an icon of nationalism, to a choreographer of 'high art' provides the foundation for the reintegration of architecture in the cultural fabric. The culmination of this research aims to reinstate the importance of architecture as a cultural nexus in order to restring a fragmented dance, community and cultural identity.

Sangeetha Priya

Corina Cimpoieru

Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design

Maulik R Hajarnis

The paper begins with an overview of the Storytelling potential of Architecture. It tells how the experiential process of moving through spaces and decoding the messages embodied in Architecture has the potential to nourish the perceiver spiritually and emotionally, going beyond the physical traits of the structure and imbibed functions. To understand how a designer can imbibe a narrative while designing a project, the paper then describes the design process of an academic project – A Dance institute for the Kalbelia community at Pushkar, Rajasthan, in India. The description ends with the experiential journey of the perceiver to decode the spatial narratives encoded by the conceiver while conceiving the project; supplemented with the drawings of the design proposal and the inferences.

Dimitra Stathopoulou

Architecture and dance, two apparently diverse subjects, are explored, analysed and interrelated in this research, through parametric modelling. The thesis is divided into five basic chapters. Firstly, the prior research regarding architecture and dance is examined, which also justifies the innovation of the current research. Secondly, the visualisation techniques that have been used so far are explored in order to record, file, compose, animate, transform or combine dance movements. Afterwards, how dance movement can be expressed and transformed within the frame of parametric modelling is explained. The tools created are then applied in two case-studies, and transformed according to the functional and spatial restrictions of each project. Finally, the outcomes of this research are summarised indicating the achievements and the difficulties of the whole process, while recommendations for further research are suggested.

CID, 58th World Congress of Dance Research

Sofía Caballero-Jiménez (PhD.)

The relation between dance and space is the center of this communication. Because, as the French dance researcher Julie Perrin (2006) remarks: "dance has not imposed a specified place for itself, nor an architectural standard", but it is relevant to remark that "this space, whatever it may be, is essential" (Barry & Oelofse, 2021). Our relation with the architecture is based inherently on our human existence because "it is linked to the movement of our body within the space" (Arnheim, 2000, p. 82). It can be affirmed that what is going to happen inside a building (the spatial use through the social practice we might give it to it) has a determinant role when it comes to design it. So, in different words, how do they have to look so we can "see" them as spaces for dance? Besides the space as an artistic element or analyzing the fact of providing it to the dance production as a key fact of institutionalization, my participation at the Congress will be focused on how any dancespace can be considered as so. It means: what makes a space a dancespace? Through the analysis of several examples (flexible spaces, museum intervention) the link between dance and architecture will be further developed.

Dance Research Journal

Uttara Coorlawala

Safak Uysal

Body, even at its most still form, is the most violent against the acclamations of architectural space formulated in terms of a “search for the order in the environment”. It leans against the wall, hits the table, falls over the bed, approaches the window case, shakes and trembles in empty space: in short, it moves; it is alive. However violently, the presence of the human being is the fundamental input for the architectural practice since it is an art of creating spaces to enhance the living conditions of the human being. In recognizing the violent character of the body, we must include not only the real bodily movement, but also the extensions of that movement which we make in imagination. In this study, the authors discuss the possibilities of studying theatrical dance in order to understand the body-space relationship, constructing an analogy to the contact improvisation technique. Use of space in performance is examined on a two dimensional model: one dimension marked by body a...

Uttara Asha Coorlawala

upendra K R

ABSTRACT In any traditional art form we see the trio 1. Performing artist 2. Performance Space 3. Audience work together in evolving an aesthetic sense to the regional culture. We shall see this in the art form “Koodiyattam,” which is an amalgamation of Aryan and Dravidian concept of performance. We see the link missing in the contemporary modern performances. Re- invention of design and aesthetics always happens in the field of performance arts, it shall looked by juxtaposing the classical theatre (koodiyattam ) and folk theatre ( Ottan Thullal) In this paper I will discuss koodiyattam and ottan thullal in the context of re-invention of genre, performance, audience, time and space. Through this exploration, I shall try to arrive what re-invention means in the performing arts.as both are regional forms of performance in the same area. It is possible for us to examine the aesthetics of space and performance through these tradition.The role of performance space and audience plays a significant role in the existence of an art form. To analyse a performance we need to look into performance space and the audience connected to it. Keywords: performance, space, classical art form, folk art form, Re-invention .

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Janabel Xia: Algorithms, dance rhythms, and the drive to succeed

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Senior math major Janabel Xia is a study of a person in constant motion.

When she isn’t sorting algorithms and improving traffic control systems for driverless vehicles, she’s dancing as a member of at least four dance clubs. She’s joined several social justice organizations, worked on cryptography and web authentication technology, and created a polling app that allows users to vote anonymously.

In her final semester, she’s putting the pedal to the metal, with a green light to lessen the carbon footprint of urban transportation by using sensors at traffic light intersections.

First steps

Growing up in Lexington, Massachusetts, Janabel has been competing on math teams since elementary school. On her math team, which met early mornings before the start of school, she discovered a love of problem-solving that challenged her more than her classroom “plug-and-chug exercises.”

At Lexington High School, she was math team captain, a two-time Math Olympiad attendee, and a silver medalist for Team USA at the  European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad.

As a math major, she studies combinatorics and theoretical computer science, including theoretical and applied cryptography. In her sophomore year, she was a researcher in the Cryptography and Information Security Group at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where she conducted cryptanalysis research under Professor  Vinod Vaikuntanathan .

Part of her interests in cryptography stem from the beauty of the underlying mathematics itself — the field feels like clever engineering with mathematical tools. But another part of her interest in cryptography stems from its political dimensions, including its potential to fundamentally change existing power structures and governance. Xia and students at the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University created  zkPoll , a private polling app written with the Circom programming language, that allows users to create polls for specific sets of people, while generating a zero-knowledge proof that keeps personal information hidden to decrease negative voting influences from public perception.

Her participation in the PKG Center’s  Active Community Engagement Freshman Pre-Orientation Program introduced her to local community organizations focusing on food security, housing for formerly incarcerated individuals, and access to health care. She is also part of  Reading for Revolution , a student book club that discusses race, class, and working-class movements within MIT and the Greater Boston area.

Xia’s educational journey led to her ongoing pursuit of combining mathematical and computational methods in areas adjacent to urban planning.  “When I realized how much planning was concerned with social justice as it was concerned with design, I became more attracted to the field.”

Going on autopilot

She took classes with the  Department of Urban Studies and Planning and is currently working on an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) project with Professor Cathy Wu in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.

Recent work on eco-driving by Wu and doctoral student  Vindula Jayawardana investigated semi-autonomous vehicles that communicate with sensors localized at traffic intersections, which in theory could reduce carbon emissions by up to 21 percent.

Xia aims to optimize the implementation scheme for these sensors at traffic intersections, considering a graded scheme where perhaps only 20 percent of all sensors are initially installed, and more sensors get added in waves. She wants to maximize the emission reduction rates at each step of the process, as well as ensure there is no unnecessary installation and de-installation of such sensors.  

Dance numbers

Meanwhile, Xia has been a member of MIT’s  Fixation ,  Ridonkulous , and MissBehavior groups, and as a traditional Chinese dance choreographer for the  MIT Asian Dance Team . 

A dancer since she was 3, Xia started with Chinese traditional dance, and later added ballet and jazz. Because she is as much of a dancer as a researcher, she has figured out how to make her schedule work.

“Production weeks are always madness, with dancers running straight from class to dress rehearsals and shows all evening and coming back early next morning to take down lights and roll up marley [material that covers the stage floor],” she says. “As busy as it keeps me, I couldn’t have survived MIT without dance. I love the discipline, creativity, and most importantly the teamwork that dance demands of us. I really love the dance community here with my whole heart. These friends have inspired me and given me the love to power me through MIT.”

Xia lives with her fellow Dance Team members at the off-campus  Women's Independent Living Group (WILG).  “I really value WILG's culture of independence, both in lifestyle — cooking, cleaning up after yourself, managing house facilities, etc. — and thought — questioning norms, staying away from status games, finding new passions.”

In addition to her UROP, she’s wrapping up some graduation requirements, finishing up a research paper on  sorting algorithms from her summer at the University of Minnesota Duluth Research Experience for Undergraduates in combinatorics, and deciding between PhD programs in math and computer science.  

“My biggest goal right now is to figure out how to combine my interests in mathematics and urban studies, and more broadly connect technical perspectives with human-centered work in a way that feels right to me,” she says.

“Overall, MIT has given me so many avenues to explore that I would have never thought about before coming here, for which I’m infinitely grateful. Every time I find something new, it’s hard for me not to find it cool. There’s just so much out there to learn about. While it can feel overwhelming at times, I hope to continue that learning and exploration for the rest of my life.”

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What Does ‘Post-Emerging’ Look Like in Today’s Dance Landscape?

Fresh Tracks, at New York Live Arts, showcases early-career dance makers. This year’s talented crop wonders about next steps.

By Siobhan Burke

Bill T. Jones still remembers warming up backstage for one of his first New York City performances, in 1977: a solo at Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea, as part of a series for up-and-coming experimentalists.

Jones was 25 and visiting from upstate New York, where he belonged to a small countercultural dance collective. He would be sharing that evening’s program with five other choreographers, including the Baroque dancer Catherine Turocy, the Merce Cunningham acolyte Kenneth King and the postmodern-ballet iconoclast Donald Byrd. To be suddenly surrounded by so many different aesthetics, he said in an interview, “was exhilarating and terrifying.”

“Quaintly, that was the big time,” he said. “A very important rite of passage. We felt that we had arrived.”

In the nearly 50 years since, a lot has changed at the institution formerly known as Dance Theater Workshop, where Jones is now the artistic director. In 2012, the theater merged with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company to become New York Live Arts. But that right-of-passage series has endured. It has gone by a few names since it began, the year Dance Theater Workshop was founded, in 1965 — Studio Series, Choreographers Showcase and, since 1984, Fresh Tracks. But it remains a place, as Jones said, “to see where new ideas are just breaking the soil.”

On May 17 and 18, Live Arts presents the latest edition of Fresh Tracks , featuring works by Julia Antinozzi, Vinson Fraley, Liony Garcia and Symara Sarai. Selected through an open application and interview process, these choreographers join a long, star-studded roster of past participants that includes contemporary dance trailblazers like Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Molissa Fenley, Reggie Wilson and Tere O’Connor. In the tradition of eclectic shared evenings, theirs is diverse in its themes: the allure of ballet (Antinozzi), the possibility of rest (Fraley), the unpredictability of social media (Garcia) and the power of Black women’s autonomy (Sarai).

While continuing a distinguished lineage, today’s Fresh Tracks artists, who must be in the early stages of their choreographic careers, face a rockier financial landscape than generations past. They are billed as “emerging,” which has always been a nebulous label. But the linear path it implies — a step on the way to midcareer, then established — has perhaps never been so illusory.

In New York, dance artists are finding their way in a harsh post-pandemic economy, with a soaring cost of living and dwindling funding. A 2023 dance industry census , conducted by the service organization Dance/NYC, found that “the dance industry continues to navigate the effects of the pandemic with fragility” — exacerbated by a drop-off in pandemic relief funds — and that “dance is not financially sustainable for most of its workers.”

“We haven’t figured out what is a sustainable career for a dance maker or a dancer,” said Janet Wong, the associate artistic director of Live Arts. What she hopes Fresh Tracks can do is give artists “some tools that they may not have had beforehand.”

Originally a stand-alone performance showcase, the series has evolved over the decades into a more robust residency and professional development program. Over the past eight months, this year’s artists came together for workshops on topics like grant writing and communications, as well as dialogues about the creative process with the program’s artistic adviser, Nia Love. Each received 50 hours of studio space and a $5,000 stipend to make a 15-minute work.

Fresh Tracks is just one of many opportunities for early-career choreographers around the city; others include residencies at Triskelion Arts, Movement Research and Abrons Arts Center, as well as shows at the resourceful new space Pageant. But its strong emphasis on pragmatic skills sets Fresh Tracks apart. Antinozzi, 27, who recently also had a residency at Triskelion, described the workshops as “kind of like school, but in a nice way — like extremely practical.”

O’Connor, a professor of dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who showed his first-ever work at Fresh Tracks in 1984, sees the program as “a guiding hand” in a “financially dire” moment. “It’s really easy to make a big impact with your first work,” he said. “But then to keep it going — second, third, fourth — it’s a rough terrain. It’s good to have help with it.”

The prospect of “arriving” through Fresh Tracks might be more elusive than it once was, but this year’s artists still see the performance as a special opportunity. They talked about how they got here, what they’re working on, and where they hope to go next.

Julia Antinozzi

Antinozzi grew up studying ballet in New Haven and began choreographing as a student at Smith College, where she drifted away from her classical training. But lately she has been rekindling a love affair with her roots after becoming “obsessed” with going to see New York City Ballet. (She learned she could buy $30 tickets, a discount for patrons under 30.)

Her Fresh Tracks piece, “Third Variation,” is the finale of an evening-length work for four dancers; she showed the first two sections at Triskelion.

Though not obvious on the surface, the dance is an attempt “to figure out what it is I’m so attracted to about going to the ballet,” she said. She has been inspired by George Balanchine’s “La Sonnambula,” “Tarantella” and “Swan Lake,” as well as dancers’ autobiographies, subtly folding these references into her lush, ornate compositions.

As she wraps up a busy spring of dance-making — balanced with the arts administration jobs that support her financially — Antinozzi finds herself “in a strange middle ground,” unsure of what comes next.

“I’ve had these great opportunities,” she said. “The next jump would be, what, like Chelsea Factory? The Joyce? Things that feel too far away.”

At Live Arts, she hopes to get some new eyes on her work. “It’s exciting that a lot of new people might see it,” she said. “It’s validating. Like, ‘Look, someone has let me do this, you should let me do more.’”

Symara Sarai

Sarai , 29, dreams of showing her work internationally, and her training has already taken her around the world. She studied at Oregon Ballet Theater in Portland, where she grew up, then in Trinidad and Tobago, where her mother is from, and for a year at the Beijing Dance Academy.

In 2019 she graduated from Purchase College, almost straight into the pandemic. She used the time of isolation (and collecting unemployment) to develop her solo practice . For the past two years, she has danced with Urban Bush Women, a job she finds both financially and artistically sustaining. Eventually, though, she wants to strike out on her own.

“The desire is to be fully employed by myself in my choreographic work,” she said.

For Fresh Tracks, Sarai is making “Batty Juice,” a trio for herself and two other dancers “that tries to bring us in proximity to our authentic autonomy,” she said. “In other words, how do I create a work in which three Black girls can do whatever they want?”

Sarai is a daring solo improviser, and her uninhibited spirit infuses this project, too. “I’m trying to offer this space of, like, the furthest you think you can go, you can go further,” she said.

Sarai sees “Batty Juice” as the start of a longer work, and she hopes Fresh Tracks will open doors to expanding it.

“The thing that scares me the most is, like, what is post-emerging?” she said, noting the relative abundance of opportunities for early-career artists. “It feels like you have to start making it up a little bit, after the emerging pot closes.”

Liony Garcia

Garcia , 38 and originally from Cuba, moved to New York last year from Miami, where he had lived for most of his life. Still getting his bearings in a new city, he was surprised to be accepted to Fresh Tracks — an unexpected opportunity, he said, “to introduce myself and my work to the community here.”

In Miami, Garcia danced with the contemporary choreographers Rosie Herrera, Brigid Baker and others. His first evening-length work, developed over three years, was an ambitious project responding to the city’s Art Deco architecture through movement.

For his Fresh Tracks piece, “Fantasy Punctured,” he tried to keep things simpler. Interested in the implications of scrolling on social media, he used the video editing app CapCut to string together short, idiosyncratic clips of his dancers improvising, the basis for a series of solos.

“I wanted a process more in line with the kind of life I’m living, which isn’t a very settled life — it’s all over the place,” said Garcia, who also teaches dance to teenagers and works at a hotel’s front desk. With CapCut on his phone, he could choreograph “on the fly,” he said.

More than any specific opportunity, Garcia is working toward cultivating a slower, more focused practice. “I have conversations with my cast about it,” he said. “We all want to feel really settled in the work we’re making, and not have to jump around so much.”

Vinson Fraley

A model and singer as well as a dancer, Fraley , who grew up in North Carolina and Atlanta, describes himself as “fashion adjacent.” You might have seen him in a recent Pandora Mother’s Day ad (with his mom) or campaigns for Apple and Calvin Klein.

While pursuing commercial work, he has also danced for choreographers like Kyle Abraham and Bobbi Jene Smith and, for four years, Bill T. Jones. At 29, he characterizes his dance-making journey so far as “little dabbles here and there.” One of those, not so little, was a duet with the New York City Ballet principal Sara Mearns at the Joyce Theater in 2022.

His Fresh Tracks work, “Alluvium,” digs deeper into a solo he performed last year outdoors at Lincoln Center, what he calls a “ritual that is basically a procession toward rest.”

“I’ve been trying to do less and really pare down the gestural language into something more minimal, that can really be taken in,” he said.

For future projects, he envisions interventions of dance in public space: “That’s a dream for me, to expand the idea of what dance is on a mass level,” he said. “It isn’t just, like, a cool Gap commercial.”

The Fresh Tracks workshops have helped him appreciate what such a project might entail, logistically. “What has become really apparent from all of the sessions,” he said, “is how much work you are doing as the choreographer or director of something. It really is no joke.”

Stepping Into the World of Dance

As Black roller skaters from around the country bring their styles to Atlanta, some locals look for space to preserve the moves the city  is known for.

A gala-style piece can be done in a rote or fresh manner, and at New York City Ballet’s spring gala, the two premieres — one by Justin Peck, one by Amy Hall Garner  — were fresh enough.

Eduardo Vilaro celebrates his 15th year as artistic director  of Ballet Hispánico with a premiere exploring the life of the painter Juan de Pareja.

The spring season at New York City Ballet  opened with an all-Balanchine program and a vintage miniature from 1975: “Errante,” staged for a new generation.

Under the banner “American Legacies,” the Martha Graham Dance Company dusted off a classic, “Rodeo,” premiered a companion piece  and welcomed FKA twigs for a guest solo  at City Center.

As Harlem Stage’s E-Moves dance series turns 25, Bill T. Jones and other major choreographers discuss its impact on Black dance  in New York.

Beyoncé does viral Drea Kelly dance to her song 'II Hands II Heaven,' Kelly reacts

Drea Kelly says she's more than ready to collaborate with Beyoncé and start rehearsals, now that the superstar has done her viral dance to "II Hands II Heaven."

In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Kelly says: "And I want to say thank (Beyoncé) for recognizing my gift. The smile on her face while doing my choreography is the same emotion I feel when I’m dancing. That’s the same smile I see on women’s faces when they take my  dance fitness class. The moment when who she was and who she is part ways so that goddess may come to the forefront…..there’s no better feeling. Well until today! Thank you Beyoncé."

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter knows exactly what's buzzing in the Beyhive, and the superstar decided to join in on the fun with her own version of the viral Kelly dance to her hit song "II Hands II Heaven."

The Grammy-award winning singer posted to her Instagram late Tuesday, sharing some behind-the-scenes photos and clips.

Decked in an American-flag outfit, Beyoncé posed with her longtime friend and singer Kelly Rowland at this year's Coachella Festival to support Parkwood-signed artist Chloe Bailey , who made her solo performance debut.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

However, it's another short snippet in Beyoncé's post that has the entire internet talking — the singer hitting the dance fans all over have been doing to the second half of her song "II Hands II Heaven" off her new album "Cowboy Carter."

The dance took off on social media after a fan used 2-year-old choreography from American dancer and actress Andrea Kelly, also known as Drea, and merged it with Queen Bey's new hit.

After seeing her moves take off on the internet, Kelly told USA TODAY, "I was like hold on now, Beyoncé's internet is on to something. And it has taken a life of its own."

It's clear Beyoncé caught wind of all the renditions online. In the "Ya Ya" singer's new post, she playfully hits the moves with a huge smile on her face.

As fans know, Beyoncé released her "Act II" project on March 29, and the album quickly broke the internet and made history .

Queen Bey has been making lots of big moves lately, but it certainly seems she has her ear to the ground.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on  Instagram ,  TikTok  and  X  as @cachemcclay .

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WABC's Sandra Bookman, Art Moore honored at Dance to Unite Annual Benefit Gala

Eyewitness News Anchor Sandra Bookman and WABC's Vice President of Programming Art Moore were honored at Dance to Unite's 10th annual Gala Wednesday.

Sandra has been involved with Dance to Unite since 2019.

"Starting with the kids is a way (to get people to understand) that we can actually live together and respect each other, regardless of our differences. And that is what Dance to Unite does," Bookman said.

And it was Art's idea to produce the Eyewitness News special 'Finding Inspiration: Kids in the Arts' and he has been a passionate supporter of Dance to Unite ever since.

Dance to Unite is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to use dance as a vehicle to teach and celebrate cultural diversity.

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2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition: Another Day at The Orifice

• May 28–June 9, 2024
• 2-7pm Daily, by appointment only June 7-9
• Opening Reception:  May 30, 7-9pm
• Closing Reception:  Thursday, June 6, 6-9pm

Description

The University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design is pleased to present the 2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition: Another Day at The Orifice, from May 28 through June 9 at Railspur (Top Floor). Join us for the opening reception on May 30, 7-9pm, and the closing reception on Thursday, June 6, 6-9pm during the Pioneer Square First Thursday Art Walk. Throughout their programs, graduate students work with their advisors and other artists to develop advanced techniques, expand concepts, discuss critical issues, and emerge with a vision and direction for their work. Another Day at The Orifice features the cumulative thesis work of the eight graduates receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in Photo/Media, Painting + Drawing, and 3D4M: ceramics + glass + sculpture.

2024 MFA Graduates: Dave Braun, FS Bàssïbét, Rachel Dorsey, Amara Eke, Ren Han, Michael Hong, Ali Meyer, Kevin Phan

Gallery Hours

2-7pm Daily from May 28 – June 6

By appointment only on June 7–9 (graduation weekend).

Book an appointment now.

Location + Accessibility

The Top Floor at Railspur is a 14,000-square-foot space inside a historic 1906 brick building at 419 Occidental Avenue South. The entrance to the top floor is through the alley (direction signs will be placed around the building). There is wheelchair access throughout the building.

Transportation

The RailSpur building is readily accessible via public transportation—Metro bus lines, the Light Rail (pioneer station), and the First Hill Streetcar. Garage and street parking are also available in the area. It is highly recommended to use public transit, specially on game days and during the Pioneer Square First Thursday Art Walk.

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Theater and Dance

Theater thesis & honors thesis guidelines.

2019 Production of “ We Are Proud to Present… ” Photo Credit: Phyllis Graber-Jensen

The Department of Theater and Dance offers multiple options for the culminating experience for Theater majors.   Please see the Academic Requirements as listed in the catalog for more details: Theater Academic Program .

Below is a guide to choosing capstone or thesis options for Theater Makers and Theater Studies/Dramaturgy students with the specific requirements and expectations related to each.

Thesis Options:  

• A portfolio/website focused on a culminating creative project (Theater Makers)
• A written thesis focused on a culminating creative project (Theater Makers)
• A written thesis focused on a scholarly interest in the field of theater focus (Theater Studies/Dramaturgy 
• Double Majors Only who are completing their W3 requirements elsewhere: a website portfolio focusing on your four year experience as a theater major  (Theater Makers)
• No credit thesis (Theater Makers)
• Honors Thesis (Theater Makers & Theater Studies/Dramaturgy)

Theater Makers Thesis-Creative Project & Portfolio

Theater makers thesis-creative project & website/portfolio.

Sukanya Shukla ‘20 Acting Thesis/Capstone – Nina in Stupid F#@king Bird . Photo Credit: Phyllis Graber-Jensen

This practitioner-focused option allows students to work on a thesis in acting, directing, playwriting or design and complete a specific project designated by the department. It is by invitation of the departmental faculty only and involves one or two semesters of original research culminating in a creative project and accompanying website/portfolio focused on the artistic process .  

For acting, the student will portray a designated role in a specific production. For directing, a student will direct a specific play. For playwriting, the student will write an original play and have a staged reading.  For design, the student will accomplish the design for an appropriate project as discussed by the student and their advisor.

Supporting this creative project, this thesis experience includes a substantive website or portfolio examining the process and product of creative research.  It also represents the students’ understanding of contemporary and/or historical theater practice, its theoretical and cultural context and connection to contemporary best practices.  This portfolio could be the foundational work that students continue to develop as they apply to professional theater internships or Graduate Program MFA, MA, (post Bates)  programs post-Bates.

Theater Makers Thesis Requirements

The requirements below are the minimum expectations which must be fulfilled to be eligible for a capstone experience in these fields.

Acting Thesis Requirements:

All of the following: DN/TH 202. Devising Performance. THEA 263. Voice and Speech. THEA 361. Advanced Acting. DN/TH 290. Performance/Production. (Performance in one production prior to thesis; half-credit course). One and a half additional credits chosen in consultation with the major advisor.

Design Thesis Requirements:

1) Design courses. One of the following: THEA 231. Scene Design. THEA 232. Lighting Design. THEA 233. Costume Design. At least one of the following additional design courses: THEA 231. Scene Design. THEA 232. Lighting Design. THEA 233. Costume Design. THEA 235. Fashion: A Survey of Western Culture. THEA 236. Pattern Drafting and Draping. THEA 295. Stage Management for the Performing Arts. Three additional design-related courses, at least one in art and visual culture, that support the design concentration in consultation with the major advisor.

Directing Thesis Requirements:

DN/TH 202. Devising Performance THEA 250. Beginning Directing. THEA 350. Advanced Directing. THEA 360 B. Independent Study – Assistant Director One additional course chosen in consultation with the major advisor.

Playwriting Thesis Requirements:

All of the following: THEA 223. Dramaturgy: An Introduction. THEA 240. Playwriting. THEA 339. Advanced Playwriting.

One of the following: DANC 151. Making Dance. DANC 262. Embodying Activism: Performing a Living Definition. Two half-credit courses in DN/TH 290. Performance/Production, or DANC 270. Studio Dance.

Production work: THEA 360 C. Independent Study-Production Dramaturgy

Guidelines for Thesis Assessment

Creative project & process:  70% (35% process/35% presentation).

A substantial theater project in acting, directing, playwriting, or design with an emphasis on the process. 

Website or Portfolio:  30%

This can be done in a variety of creative formats. 

Proposal & Website/Portfolio Guidelines

Proposal and portfolio specifications for the following fields can be found by clicking the link below:

PLAYWRITING

Ali Greene ‘20 Directing Thesis/Capstone – The Gap with playwright Emma Goidel. Photo Credit: Tim Dugan

Theater Studies/Dramaturgy Written Thesis

Dana Professor of Theater, Martin Andrucki directs Brady Chilson ’23 in Love/Sick . Photo credit Phyllis Graber Jensen

This option focused on scholarly research and writing, offers Theater Studies/Dramaturgy students the opportunity to explore topics in dramatic literature, theater history, the theoretical and social dimensions of performance, or other appropriate areas of scholarly interest.  The traditional senior thesis involves one or two semesters of original research and writing, culminating in a substantial paper on a research topic of the student’s design.

Dramaturgy, History, Literature, Criticism Requirements

Course work: THEA 101, THEA 200, THEA 220, THEA 223 2 additional courses in Dramatic Literature or Theory Production work: THEA 360 C. Independent Study-Production Dramaturgy

Written Portion: 100% This should be 40 – 70 pages in length.

Theater Makers Thesis-Creative Project & Written Component

Rebecca Berger ‘19 Directing Thesis – The Wolves . Poster Design: Rachel Forcillo ’18

Theater Maker students who elect this option will structure their written work and scholarly research around a creative project designated by the department in acting, directing, playwriting, or design.  

The project process and written portion of the thesis represents the students’ independent original research based on an understanding of contemporary and/or historical theater practice, its theoretical underpinnings, cultural context, and research methodology.

The requirements below are the minimum expectations that must be fulfilled to be eligible for a thesis experience in these fields.

Acting Thesis Requirements

Course work: THEA 261, THEA 263, THEA 361 Production work: Two major roles in productions at Bates.

Design Thesis Requirements

Course work: THEA 130, THEA 231, THEA 232, THEA 233 Production work: One of the following: THEA 360 E. Independent Study – Assistant Design in the Area of Focus THEA 360 F. Independent Study – Design

Directing Thesis Requirements

Course work: THEA 261, THEA 350 Production work: After successfully completing THEA 350: THEA 360 A. Independent Study – Stage Management THEA 360 B. Independent Study – Assistant Director THEA 360 D. Independent Study – Directing

Playwriting Thesis Requirements

Course work: ENTH 289, THEA 223, THEA 240, THEA 340 Additional work: One completed script Production work: THEA 360 C. Independent Study-Production Dramaturgy https://www.bates.edu/theater/academic-program/thesis/

Creative Project & Process: 70% (35% process/35% presentation) A substantial theatre project in acting, directing, playwriting, or design with an emphasis on both the scholarly research and the process.

Written Portion: 30% This portion of the creative thesis project should be 35 – 60 pages in length.

Proposal & Thesis Guidelines

Jack Willis ‘19 Acting Thesis, Michael Driscal ‘19, Ethan Winglass Acting Thesis ’19 – We Are Proud to Present… Photo Credit: Phyllis Graber-Jensen

Honors Thesis

Hope French ‘18 Honors Thesis Acting – Harper Pitt in Angels in America Photo Credit: Phyllis Graber-Jensen

Honors Thesis involves two semesters of original research and writing either focusing on a creative project and/or a research topic approved by your advisor.  It culminates in a substantial paper on a research topic of the student’s design and also requires an oral examination by faculty members and an outside evaluator.

“The program encourages students to achieve mastery of a specific topic within the context of a major. The program gives qualified students an opportunity to conduct extensive independent study and research in their majors.”   Such an effort requires that the student possess an excellent understanding of the subject area, its theoretical underpinnings, and its research methodology .  The student must also be able to think critically and comprehensively about the topic, and must be able to advance a well-formulated argument. 

Participation in the Bates Honors Program is by invitation of the theater faculty.  The following are minimum objective criteria for such an invitation:

Overall grade-point average: 3.30 – Departmental average: 3.70

Honors in Acting

Major roles in at least two Bates productions, at least one of which must have been faculty-directed; distinguished work in THEA 261, THEA 361 & THEA  362

Honors in Directing

Distinguished work in THEA 350, THEA 360 A, THEA 360 B  & THEA 360 D.

Honors in Design

Distinguished work in the relevant design courses, and design work on at least two productions at Bates, at least one of which must have been faculty-directed.

Honors in Dramaturgy, History, Literature, And Criticism

Distinguished work in the relevant courses at Bates, including a demonstrated ability to write vivid, coherent English.

Honors in Playwriting

Successful completion of at least two one-act plays, or one full-length play before senior year.

All Honors Theses

A substantial section of the written portion must address scholarly, historical, and theoretical questions.

Guidelines for Honors Thesis Assessment 

The Bates College honors guidelines state that the thesis counts for 60% of the honors award, while the oral examination counts for 40% .

Thus, the written portion of the honors thesis counts for 25% of 60%—i.e. 15% overall .

Proposal and thesis specifications can be found by clicking the link below: