Judith Hanna earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University, an M.A. in political science from Michigan State University, and a B.A. in political science from UCLA. She is an Affiliate Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland, an educator, writer and dance critic.

Dancing to Learn does not provide all the answers about the impact of dance on the brain but it does provide more than enough evidence to proudly refute any outdated, biased, and misinformed claim that dance is irrelevant to cognition and education….Dancing to Learn: The Brain’s Cognition, Emotion, and Movement encourages us to find our way back towhat first drew many of us to this profession—the healing inherent in dance.

• Contents AcknowledgmentsPrelude: To Dance Is Cognitive, Emotional, and Moving What Do We Know about Dance? Triangulating Knowledge Brain Scientists Study Dancers and SpectatorsDisclosure Steps toward Understanding Dance as a Learning MediumChapter 1. The Brain ”Choreographs” Dance-Maker, Dancer, and Spectator Cross-Cultural Conceptualization of DanceThe Body in Space, Time, and With Effort Transformation of Everyday Movements for Expressive PurposeCulture The Moving Body Aids Human EvolutionDancing Nourishes a Ravenous Brain Architecture of the BrainNeurons – Atoms of ThinkingSparking – NeurogenesisDance Embodies CognitionSenses, Interoception, and PerceptionVision, an Especially Important SenseMirror NeuronsMind and Consciousness MemoryDance in Mind, Space, Pace, and AgingVerbal and Nonverbal (Dance) Languages of ThoughtComparison of LanguagesMany Languages and Dialects of Dance Thinking through LanguageMultilingualism in Dance Feeling and EmotionStressRecollection/ Reconsolidation of EmotionMotivation and the Pleasure of DanceEncoreChapter 2. The Mentality and Matter of Learning through Dance The Brain Sustains Dance Languages Powerful Hand CommunicationMore Body Parts, More Powerful Dance Declarative, Procedural, and Social Knowledge for DanceMusic and Dance TogetherPacking and Unpacking Meaning in DanceSymbolizationDancing a Science DissertationDimensions of Meaning in Dance (Probing with a Semantic Grid)Dance in the Moment and MemoryVisual Images and MindfulnessPerception of Emotion Thinking through Memorable Images of DanceDance Sparks Brain Networks and Learning for Old and YoungDance Lowers Risks for Brain DeteriorationPerforming Arts in GeneralAcquisition of Learning Skills through DanceCreativityChallengesPrompting CreativityEncoreChapter 3. Brain-Changing Dance Venues: From Street/Studio/Classroom to Stage and Back Multi-linguistic Dance: Plethora of GenresMany Ways of Learning Dance Academic SchoolsPre-School DanceDance as a DisciplinePre-professional DanceDance Company Schools and Outreach ProgramsArts Magnet Schools Program within a School New York City Public SchoolsCluster School ProgramA County-Wide Multifaceted Program in all Public SchoolsDance Integration – with Other Arts or Non-Arts Disciplines Elementary SchoolHigh SchoolUniversity Dance EducationPerforming Arts Organization Offerings John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsLincoln Center Institute for the Arts in EducationWashington Performing Arts SocietyYoung Audiences National Dance Institute (NDI)ArtsConnection Young Talent Dance Program/ English Language Literacy ProgramCommunity Based Dance ProgramsDance Teacher PreparationPrivate Dance Studios and ConservatoriesDance Education LabPulse Ontario (Canada) Dance Education ConferenceNational Registry of Dance Educators State Dance CertificationIn-service WorkshopsNational Dance Education Organization EncoreChapter 4. The Dancing Brain Leaves No One Behind A Performing Art A Liberal ArtAn Applied ArtPersonal Development through Dance Aids LearningDance Engages and MotivatesDance and Changing BehaviorDance Integrated with Other SubjectsAssessing Non-dance Learning through DanceChildren’s Own Dance as a Diagnostic Tool Transfer of Dance LearningDimensions of TransferBrain ActionTeaching for TransferResearch on TransferTools for Dance LearningMedia, Cyberspace, and Social NetworksDistance Learning“Pen and Paper”Movement AnalysisDance Curriculum, Standards, Assessment, and EvaluationDance to Cope with Stress Bad Stress – DistressGood Stress – EustressDance a StressorEscapeEncoreChapter 5. Mind and Emotion in Learning Self, Cultural and National Identities through Dance Dancer Identity, Career, Transitions, and Dance-related Options Gender and Sexual Orientation Who Is On-stage? FemalesMales in DanceCulture, Diversity, Understanding, and Choreographic InspirationBlack/White InteractionRegional or National IdentityApplying Cultural Diversity Selecting DancesCultural AppropriationPlaying Anthropologist to Learn about a Culture’s DanceEncoreFinale and Révérence Dance – Cinderella of Education and Brain SciencePlié: Ready to Soar in Brain and BodyFigure 1. Elements of DanceFigure 2. Ways of Conveying Meaning in Dance (Semantic Grid)Appendix 1: Tools to Discover the Dancing Brain Appendix 2: To Dance in a Classroom, Even for Non-DancersImages and Credits References CitedAbout the BrainTeaching DanceIndexAbout the Author

Judith Hanna earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University, an M.A. in political science from Michigan State University, and a B.A. in political science from UCLA. She is an Affiliate Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland, an educator, writer and dance critic.

Dancing to Learn does not provide all the answers about the impact of dance on the brain but it does provide more than enough evidence to proudly refute any outdated, biased, and misinformed claim that dance is irrelevant to cognition and education….Dancing to Learn: The Brain’s Cognition, Emotion, and Movement encourages us to find our way back towhat first drew many of us to this profession—the healing inherent in dance.

• Contents AcknowledgmentsPrelude: To Dance Is Cognitive, Emotional, and Moving What Do We Know about Dance? Triangulating Knowledge Brain Scientists Study Dancers and SpectatorsDisclosure Steps toward Understanding Dance as a Learning MediumChapter 1. The Brain ”Choreographs” Dance-Maker, Dancer, and Spectator Cross-Cultural Conceptualization of DanceThe Body in Space, Time, and With Effort Transformation of Everyday Movements for Expressive PurposeCulture The Moving Body Aids Human EvolutionDancing Nourishes a Ravenous Brain Architecture of the BrainNeurons – Atoms of ThinkingSparking – NeurogenesisDance Embodies CognitionSenses, Interoception, and PerceptionVision, an Especially Important SenseMirror NeuronsMind and Consciousness MemoryDance in Mind, Space, Pace, and AgingVerbal and Nonverbal (Dance) Languages of ThoughtComparison of LanguagesMany Languages and Dialects of Dance Thinking through LanguageMultilingualism in Dance Feeling and EmotionStressRecollection/ Reconsolidation of EmotionMotivation and the Pleasure of DanceEncoreChapter 2. The Mentality and Matter of Learning through Dance The Brain Sustains Dance Languages Powerful Hand CommunicationMore Body Parts, More Powerful Dance Declarative, Procedural, and Social Knowledge for DanceMusic and Dance TogetherPacking and Unpacking Meaning in DanceSymbolizationDancing a Science DissertationDimensions of Meaning in Dance (Probing with a Semantic Grid)Dance in the Moment and MemoryVisual Images and MindfulnessPerception of Emotion Thinking through Memorable Images of DanceDance Sparks Brain Networks and Learning for Old and YoungDance Lowers Risks for Brain DeteriorationPerforming Arts in GeneralAcquisition of Learning Skills through DanceCreativityChallengesPrompting CreativityEncoreChapter 3. Brain-Changing Dance Venues: From Street/Studio/Classroom to Stage and Back Multi-linguistic Dance: Plethora of GenresMany Ways of Learning Dance Academic SchoolsPre-School DanceDance as a DisciplinePre-professional DanceDance Company Schools and Outreach ProgramsArts Magnet Schools Program within a School New York City Public SchoolsCluster School ProgramA County-Wide Multifaceted Program in all Public SchoolsDance Integration – with Other Arts or Non-Arts Disciplines Elementary SchoolHigh SchoolUniversity Dance EducationPerforming Arts Organization Offerings John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsLincoln Center Institute for the Arts in EducationWashington Performing Arts SocietyYoung Audiences National Dance Institute (NDI)ArtsConnection Young Talent Dance Program/ English Language Literacy ProgramCommunity Based Dance ProgramsDance Teacher PreparationPrivate Dance Studios and ConservatoriesDance Education LabPulse Ontario (Canada) Dance Education ConferenceNational Registry of Dance Educators State Dance CertificationIn-service WorkshopsNational Dance Education Organization EncoreChapter 4. The Dancing Brain Leaves No One Behind A Performing Art A Liberal ArtAn Applied ArtPersonal Development through Dance Aids LearningDance Engages and MotivatesDance and Changing BehaviorDance Integrated with Other SubjectsAssessing Non-dance Learning through DanceChildren’s Own Dance as a Diagnostic Tool Transfer of Dance LearningDimensions of TransferBrain ActionTeaching for TransferResearch on TransferTools for Dance LearningMedia, Cyberspace, and Social NetworksDistance Learning“Pen and Paper”Movement AnalysisDance Curriculum, Standards, Assessment, and EvaluationDance to Cope with Stress Bad Stress – DistressGood Stress – EustressDance a StressorEscapeEncoreChapter 5. Mind and Emotion in Learning Self, Cultural and National Identities through Dance Dancer Identity, Career, Transitions, and Dance-related Options Gender and Sexual Orientation Who Is On-stage? FemalesMales in DanceCulture, Diversity, Understanding, and Choreographic InspirationBlack/White InteractionRegional or National IdentityApplying Cultural Diversity Selecting DancesCultural AppropriationPlaying Anthropologist to Learn about a Culture’s DanceEncoreFinale and Révérence Dance – Cinderella of Education and Brain SciencePlié: Ready to Soar in Brain and BodyFigure 1. Elements of DanceFigure 2. Ways of Conveying Meaning in Dance (Semantic Grid)Appendix 1: Tools to Discover the Dancing Brain Appendix 2: To Dance in a Classroom, Even for Non-DancersImages and Credits References CitedAbout the BrainTeaching DanceIndexAbout the Author

Judith Hanna earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University, an M.A. in political science from Michigan State University, and a B.A. in political science from UCLA. She is an Affiliate Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland, an educator, writer and dance critic.

Dancing to Learn does not provide all the answers about the impact of dance on the brain but it does provide more than enough evidence to proudly refute any outdated, biased, and misinformed claim that dance is irrelevant to cognition and education….Dancing to Learn: The Brain’s Cognition, Emotion, and Movement encourages us to find our way back towhat first drew many of us to this profession—the healing inherent in dance.

• Contents AcknowledgmentsPrelude: To Dance Is Cognitive, Emotional, and Moving What Do We Know about Dance? Triangulating Knowledge Brain Scientists Study Dancers and SpectatorsDisclosure Steps toward Understanding Dance as a Learning MediumChapter 1. The Brain ”Choreographs” Dance-Maker, Dancer, and Spectator Cross-Cultural Conceptualization of DanceThe Body in Space, Time, and With Effort Transformation of Everyday Movements for Expressive PurposeCulture The Moving Body Aids Human EvolutionDancing Nourishes a Ravenous Brain Architecture of the BrainNeurons – Atoms of ThinkingSparking – NeurogenesisDance Embodies CognitionSenses, Interoception, and PerceptionVision, an Especially Important SenseMirror NeuronsMind and Consciousness MemoryDance in Mind, Space, Pace, and AgingVerbal and Nonverbal (Dance) Languages of ThoughtComparison of LanguagesMany Languages and Dialects of Dance Thinking through LanguageMultilingualism in Dance Feeling and EmotionStressRecollection/ Reconsolidation of EmotionMotivation and the Pleasure of DanceEncoreChapter 2. The Mentality and Matter of Learning through Dance The Brain Sustains Dance Languages Powerful Hand CommunicationMore Body Parts, More Powerful Dance Declarative, Procedural, and Social Knowledge for DanceMusic and Dance TogetherPacking and Unpacking Meaning in DanceSymbolizationDancing a Science DissertationDimensions of Meaning in Dance (Probing with a Semantic Grid)Dance in the Moment and MemoryVisual Images and MindfulnessPerception of Emotion Thinking through Memorable Images of DanceDance Sparks Brain Networks and Learning for Old and YoungDance Lowers Risks for Brain DeteriorationPerforming Arts in GeneralAcquisition of Learning Skills through DanceCreativityChallengesPrompting CreativityEncoreChapter 3. Brain-Changing Dance Venues: From Street/Studio/Classroom to Stage and Back Multi-linguistic Dance: Plethora of GenresMany Ways of Learning Dance Academic SchoolsPre-School DanceDance as a DisciplinePre-professional DanceDance Company Schools and Outreach ProgramsArts Magnet Schools Program within a School New York City Public SchoolsCluster School ProgramA County-Wide Multifaceted Program in all Public SchoolsDance Integration – with Other Arts or Non-Arts Disciplines Elementary SchoolHigh SchoolUniversity Dance EducationPerforming Arts Organization Offerings John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsLincoln Center Institute for the Arts in EducationWashington Performing Arts SocietyYoung Audiences National Dance Institute (NDI)ArtsConnection Young Talent Dance Program/ English Language Literacy ProgramCommunity Based Dance ProgramsDance Teacher PreparationPrivate Dance Studios and ConservatoriesDance Education LabPulse Ontario (Canada) Dance Education ConferenceNational Registry of Dance Educators State Dance CertificationIn-service WorkshopsNational Dance Education Organization EncoreChapter 4. The Dancing Brain Leaves No One Behind A Performing Art A Liberal ArtAn Applied ArtPersonal Development through Dance Aids LearningDance Engages and MotivatesDance and Changing BehaviorDance Integrated with Other SubjectsAssessing Non-dance Learning through DanceChildren’s Own Dance as a Diagnostic Tool Transfer of Dance LearningDimensions of TransferBrain ActionTeaching for TransferResearch on TransferTools for Dance LearningMedia, Cyberspace, and Social NetworksDistance Learning“Pen and Paper”Movement AnalysisDance Curriculum, Standards, Assessment, and EvaluationDance to Cope with Stress Bad Stress – DistressGood Stress – EustressDance a StressorEscapeEncoreChapter 5. Mind and Emotion in Learning Self, Cultural and National Identities through Dance Dancer Identity, Career, Transitions, and Dance-related Options Gender and Sexual Orientation Who Is On-stage? FemalesMales in DanceCulture, Diversity, Understanding, and Choreographic InspirationBlack/White InteractionRegional or National IdentityApplying Cultural Diversity Selecting DancesCultural AppropriationPlaying Anthropologist to Learn about a Culture’s DanceEncoreFinale and Révérence Dance – Cinderella of Education and Brain SciencePlié: Ready to Soar in Brain and BodyFigure 1. Elements of DanceFigure 2. Ways of Conveying Meaning in Dance (Semantic Grid)Appendix 1: Tools to Discover the Dancing Brain Appendix 2: To Dance in a Classroom, Even for Non-DancersImages and Credits References CitedAbout the BrainTeaching DanceIndexAbout the Author