ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 is concerned with interpersonal communication since it is integral to the teaching process. The role of the body as a communicative instrument is first explored by examining human empathy and its connections to social emotional learning (SEL). Some believe empathy can be taught, and examples are provided of how this has been accomplished through the arts, and specifically dance, along with summaries of pertinent research. Further basis for the bodily basis of empathy can be found in recent neuroscience research, which is discussed and backed by studies on how it is related to movement and dance. The historical development of nonverbal communication, which is how the body communicates, is explained together with descriptions of cultural differences in how humans communicate nonverbally. As such, dance as a form of nonverbal communication can be considered a mode of symbolic communication which differs based on its use. Gesture and its symbolic use in certain dance genres are also described.
