ABSTRACT
The human sensory systems are largely responsible for managing human movement and supplying input for embodied knowledge. These sensory systems include exteroception, proprioception, and interoception. The first of these provides awareness of stimuli from the environment through vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Proprioception is an awareness of the body’s movements and location in space, while interoception refers to being receptive to one’s internal bodily state or to the viscera. Each of these sensory systems is discussed based on their contribution to body awareness and the mind-body connection, while they can also be harnessed to support dance teaching practices. In terms of exteroception, visual, auditory, and tactile teaching cues are described, which can be used to enhance dance instruction, while learning to tune into proprioceptive feedback can lead to focusing on how a movement should feel in the body, rather than emphasizing its visual appearance. A description of the relationship between awareness of proprioceptive feedback and participation in dance, along with its connection to various types of teaching strategies, is also described. Finally, the relationship between dance artistry and interoception is explained. The chapter again concludes with a series of explorations.
