ABSTRACT
Dance experiences that are focused on making and relating, perceiving and responding, and connecting and understanding, emphasize body-mind connectivity. Active involvement, giving moving expression through dance fosters embodied understandings of notions and experiences. e responsive attunement sought across body and mind increases cognizance and sensitivity to situations, other(s), and self. Dance as a moving form of expression reveals human beings’ interdependency with the world. Dance as a community, celebratory, and ritualistic practice across cultures and times reveals itself as a powerful medium for exploring and accessing personal sense making alongside the experiences of others. As a nonverbal form of communication, dance occasions contextual opportunities for ELLs to actively navigate across non-verbal and verbal communicative practices and foster concrete meanings. e kinesthetic and interactive experiences enable the receptivity of ELLs, with time to work through ideas. As students physically move, they are thinking about and making sense of new terms and notions. Interrogating dance movements builds and strengthens understandings across all learners.
