ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the pursuit of an inclusive primary school dance curriculum for all young people in Australia where a new curriculum stimulated agreement for a foundational entitlement in each of the arts, including dance. The outcomes of some projects suggest that dance could strengthen mainstream curriculum renewal to transform young people's lives for a genuine Australian education revolution in the pursuit of social justice. The chapter presents a concise genealogical account of dance education influences on the Australian curriculum. Australian dance educators were influenced by modern dance pioneers in America and by German expressionist dance over a century ago. Later, postmodern dance also influenced Australian dance education, focusing on everyday movement, improvisational processes and other concepts that supported a democratic approach to dance education in schools. The new Australian dance curriculum reflects Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority's (ACARA) (2014) aspirations for excellence and equity in education.
