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Presently there are approximately 50 million ballroom dancers in China, and over 100 tertiary institutions offering bachelor's degrees majoring in ballroom dance. It was this context and the growth of tertiary ballroom dance education and the prosperity of ballroom dance competition in China that prompted this research question: What are tertiary teachers' meanings of competition in tertiary ballroom dance education in China? In contextualising the study in China, the history of tertiary ballroom dance education and ecology of ballroom dance competition was outlined. Related to this were the various pedagogical approaches valued within Chinese educational institutions and ballroom dance contexts. A qualitative methodology was utilised in answering the research question. This study found that ballroom dance competition culture informed tertiary teachers' pedagogy, students' learning, and curriculum setting. This study posits that as ballroom dance continues to grow in China, tertiary ballroom dance education in China will require a more finely balanced approach to the role of competition within the curriculum, pedagogical approaches and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study unravels the intricate dynamics of ballet competitions in South Korea, highlighting the interplay between domestic and international competitions. Expected to function as fair and credible tests, domestic competitions in South Korea are entwined with academicism, neoliberalism, and private education. Meanwhile, international ballet competitions are perceived as more prestigious and occupy a hierarchical status over domestic events, which influences and, at times, compromises local practices and discourses. This research examines the interplay of nationalism, commercialism, and genre rivalry in dance competition to emphasize how these events in South Korea serve diverse entities and play both symbolic and practical roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study uses an autoethnographic situated strategy to undertake an analysis of the vogue/ballroom subculture. Vogue is an urban dance performed by a subculture with global reach. It is done in balls or dance competitions where identities challenging cis-heterosexist norms participate. These encounters have achieved enormous visibility, both through productions such as Pose and Paris is Burning, and in seminal academic essays such as the influential "Gender is Burning" by Judith Butler. This essay analyzes the way this dance acts as a stage for identity construction. At three analytical/biographical moments, an approach is developed, which, on the one hand, questions the romanticization of this scene and, on the other, criticizes the simplistic analyses conducted on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports dance-specific physical fitness training can improve sports dance players' physical posture and performance abilities while enhancing their overall quality. This study is conducted to ascertain the effect of physical and mental health on sports dance performance. This research analyzes 20 outstanding sports dance athletes who have won the top five national sports dance competitions, the top three provincial sports dance competitions, and the top three group sports dance competitions, as well as 20 renowned sports dance experts, teachers, and coaches. The research indicates that the combination of physical and psychological qualities directly impacts the performance of sports dance. This study uncovered novel findings and concluded that general physical fitness and special physical fitness must be clearly defined in the physical fitness training strategy, and targeted training must be performed. After considering both their practical and theoretical implications, the findings of this study have some limitations. Future studies should resolve these limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern competitive sports, the optimal mental condition enables athletes to perform at the optimal competitive level. The competition is a test and confirmation of the talent level of the athletes. Performance in the competition is not only related to honor but also to the remuneration and future of the athletes. This study administered a psychological test to twenty college dance athletes who participated in the 2022 National Undergraduate Dance Championships to ascertain the relationship between psychological training, psychological selection, and performance enhancement. In this investigation, a comparative before-and-after experimental design was used. Athletes were evaluated for mental state indicators two months before the competition to ascertain the baseline level of these indicators. Consequently, the emotional/physical depletion of international elite athletes was significantly higher than that of elite athletes, and their energy levels were significantly lower. In addition, psychological regulation has dramatically enhanced the level of psychological fatigue and mood state among athletes, as evidenced by the significant decrease in emotional/physical exhaustion among international athletes (P<0.01) and the significant decrease in panic among level 1 and 2 athletes (P<0.05). After regulation and control, the negative evaluation of sports and the dread factor have a highly significant [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Moira Ragen who had captured a central aspect of Irish dance identity rarely seen, a stark contrast to the polished competition routines and stage-ready costumes typically posted online. It mentions event was smaller than usual to encourage social distancing, the dancers' enthusiasm was palpable. It also mentions feis music plays a role beyond that of a metronomic placeholder in modern competitive Irish step dancing and driving creativity and love.

Sports dance is a competition project and a kind of sports, with the characteristics of being smooth, generous, leisurely, and comfortable, dance steps, smooth movements, and flowing clouds, and it can give full play to the indoor space. In the light of the new era, sports dance is also playing an increasingly important role. Through the time series data and feature analysis of dance sports movements through machine learning, the internal information is mined to find the trends and laws. Machine learning in the era of big data is widely used in research as the main tool for data analysis and mining. The key difficulty of data mining has always been time series data. Machine learning refers to a method of using the resulting data in a computer to derive a certain model and then using this model to make predictions. The core is "using algorithms to parse data, learn from it, and then make decisions or predictions about new data." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentine tango is considered a social leisure dance, but its evolution over the past two decades has brought it to elite level due to shows on several stages as well as national and international dance competitions divided into several categories. The current research was performed on a group of experienced tango dancers aged up to 35 years. The aim of the paper was to improve and increase the level of performance, proposing a new training method. The new method involves introducing and using the turning board training device in classical training. Initially, the turning board was invented for and used by ballet dancers, ice-skaters and gymnasts, but it was adapted for the first time in this research for Argentine tango through specific individual and couple exercises with the main goal of improving balance and pivots during the execution of this fundamental dance element that is present in almost every circular movement and change of direction. The research methodology used the well-established Y-Balance Test and Flamingo Balance Test as well as an invented rotation test on the turning board. The results of this method demonstrated a significant increase in coordination, balance, posture, spatial orientation and all turning movements involving pivots on the metatarsals around the vertical axis of tango dancers, who have improved both their individual and couple techniques. Following the results achieved, this paper can be considered a pilot study for future scientific research on Argentine tango as an art and elite sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While showing the cave complex to a group of girls, Vijay meets the female protagonist, Vidya (played in the film by Shantaram's own daughter, Rajshree). This essay looks at I Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje i ([15]; hereafter I JJPB i ), and I Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne i ([14]; hereafter I GGPN i ), both made by the legendary Indian filmmaker, Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram (1901-90; generally known as V. Shantaram). However, V. Shantaram, who was a Marathi and not from Bengal, embraces stereotypical ideas about women as being temptresses and distractions for legendary artists and ascetics - a theme that we also find in a few other Hindi films, such as I Baiju Bawra i ([12]), I Basant Bahar i ([13]) and I Sur Sangam i ([16]). We might add that both films under discussion are tributes to Classical music, a frequent feature of V. Shantaram's later movies. [Extracted from the article]

The paper begins by drawing upon research to understand the genealogical position of dance within the school curriculum as a new 'entitlement' for all young Australians. Whilst dance is included within the Australian curriculum it has been historically marginalised as a 'soft' subject within curriculum hierarchy. This low position in the curriculum order has been questioned, with assertions that dance requires a high level of embodied intelligence not usually recognised by education systems. Ball's (1993) analytic framework for policy-making has been utilised to explore the context of influence through a genealogy of the dance curriculum; the context of policy text production through the process of writing about Dance for the Arts Shape paper in the Australian Curriculum; and the context of policy practice through a case study of pre-service teachers' lived experiences of dance in school. The findings revealed a series of complex factors which have impacted upon the implementation and practice of dance in schools including the relationship between teacher control, disciplinary power and student agency; the impact of dance competitions and their influence on the perceptions of dance; the interests of diverse faiths and cultures as well as the potential of dance to support growing interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture; and the twenty-first century proliferation of dance on screen via new technologies and access to highly sexualised performance are discussed. These factors prompt the need for critical approaches towards developing a more accessible and socially just dance curriculum that is culturally responsive and meaningful for diverse learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sports, such as gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc. use judges' scores to generate a rank for determining the winner of a competition. These judges use some type of rating scale when assessing performances. Human ratings are subject to various forms of error and bias. The overall outcomes may largely depend upon the set of chosen raters. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how results from the Many-Facet Rasch Measurement framework can be used to highlight feedback to judges about their scoring patterns. The purpose is to analytically detect anomalous rater behaviours. We consider the field of Sport Dance, a discipline which enjoys increasing public interest and passion in recent years. We analyze data relating to two national competitions held in Italy in 2018 and 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the Article. The aim of the article is to analyze the processes of anglicization and canonization of ballroom dance, during the period of democratization of social dances in England, in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Methodology is an organic set of basic principles of research: objectivity, historicism, multifactor essence, systematicity, complexity, development, and pluralism, to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem-chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical- analytical. Scientific Novelty. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of the processes of origin and development of competitive ballroom dancing in England at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Conclusions. The widespread democratization of social dancing in England began as early as the 19th century when the Austrian waltz and other ballroom dancing became popular among all social strata. Democratic fervor of the common people, which at the end of the XIX century got the opportunity to relax on the resort coast of Great Britain, gave birth to the first dance competition in ballroom dancing. It was often noted by professional dance experts that the new British dance forms were superior to the original. Certainly, the distinctive features and high quality of British ballroom dancing were a matter of special professional pride. The advantages of a standardized English style as early as the late 30s. The XX century was recognized outside the country for the extraordinary success of British dancers in international ballroom dancing championships. Gradually, it established the international standard for ballroom dancing and was adopted by many of the world's dance organizations at the national level, with the exception of the United States of America (by many American competitive ballroom dancers, the English style was not adopted until the 1960s.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article asks what the graffito incised on the Dipylon oinochoē (IG I2 919, eighth century b.c.e.) reveals about the nature of the dance competition that it commemorates. Through a systematic analysis of the evaluative and descriptive meaning of the adjective ἀταλός and its cognates in early Greek epic, it is argued that a narrower definition compared to previous suggestions can be established. The word refers to the carefreeness that is specific to a child or young animal, and its uses typically imply a positive evaluation which is connected not only to the well-being that this carefreeness entails but also to the positive emotion of tenderness and the sentiment of care that it engenders in a perceiver. It is concluded that, when used to specify the criterion by which a dance contest will be adjudicated, the term refers to an aesthetic property that is repeatedly praised in archaic Greek texts in other words: that of dancing with the adorable but short-lived carefree abandon of a child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scenario of the dance contest from Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé presents a narrative in which the hero, Daphnis – in typical patriarchal fashion – is rewarded with Chloé as a prize. The period of Daphnis's creation saw widespread anxiety over the proper performance of masculinity. Given the 'duel' fought between Daphnis and Dorcon, I employ the gendered connotations of duelling narratives as an interpretative lens through which to view the ballet's scene. I propose a methodology developed from the conceptually similar praxes of A. J. Greimas and Heinrich Schenker for the analysis of narrative structures in different media from within the same theoretical framework. Central to my narrative analysis is the conceptualisation of a desiring musical subject who seeks to establish a state of conjunction with an object of value, in this case a specific tonal centre. I consider the inflection of underlying tonal processes by voice‐leading structures in relation to an examination of the expressive course of the narrative discourse, leading to an interpretation in which Daphnis's victory can be understood to express and emphasise the tensions at the heart of French masculinity at the fin de siècle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major importance of preschool children's mental health with regard to their emotional and social development has a documented ground in the literature. In these domains, it is crucial for young children to learn how to express their emerging emotions appropriately and efficiently. Creative dance and movement is already being used as a therapeutic technique in a wide range of interventional processes. But it can also be used as a preventive tool for both reducing socio-emotional risks and maximizing developmental and mental health for typically-developing children in early ages; using creative dance as such is a less discussed subject in the literature. Also, creative dance is thought to be an appropriate method for this purpose because of its compatible features with preschool children's developmental stages. From this point of view, this study discusses the importance of using creative dance in expressing emotions in early childhood and thus aims to emphasize the importance of integrating two domains in early childhood development, namely, socio-emotional development and expressive and creative movement. A literature review method has been used. The literature review has demonstrated that early childhood is parallel with the expression-based structure of creative dance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I examine the re-contextualisation of particular versions of solo traditional set dances from the region of North Kerry, Ireland, by teachers and step dancers of competitive step dancing for competition. These set dances, namely the Blackbird and Saint Patrick's Day, were choreographed by Jeremiah Molyneaux, the last of the itinerant dancing masters of the rural region of North Kerry (circa 1881–1965). The objective of the paper is to enquire into the reasoning behind the relatively recent appropriation of these dances and how competitive step-dance teachers and dancers learned to embody them as representative of a regional step-dance style. The paper proposes a particular model of transmission: a multi-sensory method of transmission where proprioceptive training and somatic sensation are considered in the stylistic embodiment and assessment of these solo set dances, and a theoretical engagement with relevant literature in the fields of Irish dance studies and ethnochoreology to contextualise and historicise the practice for deeper cultural understanding. This model might also be applied to the transmission of other dance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study are to: (1) describe and analyze the arrangement tutorial of Beksan Nir Corona on a virtual dance competition in the Kraton of Yogyakarta; and (2) describe and analyze the level of similarity in imitation of movement patterns and creativity in the presentation of the participants in the dance competition of Beksan Nir Corona. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative supported by percentage descriptive quantitative data. The data collection process was carried out using observation, interview, and document techniques. Data analysis was carried out by the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The research results show that the virtual dance tutorial of Beksan Nir Corona as a competition guide contains a recording of a dance model, which is a stylization of five steps of washing hands into a simple variety of movements in the classical dance of Yogyakarta style. Judges' assessment results through dance performance videos uploaded by 196 participants showed that: (1) the ability of participants to imitate all movement patterns according to the dance material of Beksan Nir Corona reached 85%; (2) the ability of participants to be creative which is manifested in the ability to express ideas only reached 60%; and (3) the remaining 40% of participants only danced the dance of Beksan Nir Corona by imitating the movement patterns that had been exemplified. The average ability to imitate the movement patterns of the dance of Beksan Nir Corona based on the assessment of the six judges is 85.5. In contrast, the creative ability in dance presentation is 70.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue on Dance, Movement and Leisure Cultures showcases theoretically informed articles illuminating different ways of knowing about the passions, actions, and practices within the economic, political, social, and cultural contexts of leisure-based dance. This introduction contextualises the content of the special issue within the previous dance research. Nuanced and detailed, these studies have examined diverse dance styles from ballroom to street dance, but share several main themes: the commercialisation of dance into popular culture; the increasing emphasis on competition in dance; gender roles in dance; community dance; and dance that has been recreated as an exercise form. To set the stage for the special issue, this introduction provides a closer reading of each of these themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an introductory contextualization to dance competition culture's evolution since the early 1980s in relationship to serious leisure. Dance competition culture (which includes the for-profit regional and national competition events focused on jazz, contemporary or lyrical dance, hip hop, tap, and ballet and the dance studios that train dancers for these events) is a significant site for dance training in the United States. Using a physical cultural studies lens in relation to the conceptualization of serious leisure, the article suggests that dance competition culture is shifting towards pre-professional dance training thereby changing dance competition culture from a serious leisure pursuit into vocational training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs a theoretical framework, utilizing cultural analysis, to explore how the intersection in the United States between competition dance, televised dance shows, and social media (which will be defined as consumer dance) is affecting the embodiment, pedagogy, and appreciation of dance, and contributing to the objectification and commodification of these dancers. Hegemonic constructions of gender and beauty populate consumer dance, giving birth to identities that are predominately reliant on the sense of sight due to technological changes that have plunged society into a nonstop visual world found on a screen. Engaging with the scholarship of Karen Schupp, Susan Foster, and Alexis Weisbord that examines competition dance, the current consumer dance model is analyzed for how it shapes the dancer's body and psyche. As a researcher, I see an intersection of my identities as a figure skater, modern dancer, choreographer, educator, feminist, and the mother of two daughters who dance informing the trajectory of my research. This scholarship draws from different lenses delving into philosophy, dance studies, feminism, and psychology in order to reveal the complexity of the forces that create consumer dance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to reveal and problematize the multi-layered construction of whiteness in dance competition culture by illuminating assumptions about technique embedded in 'all styles' competition dancers perform on stage. The phrase 'dance all styles' is a shorthand of sorts for those in dance competition culture, as what they really mean is they dance all styles represented in competition dance. In dance competition culture, technique is key in 'all dance styles,' and over time youth unknowingly come to equate the idea of technique with the attributes of ballet inherently reinforcing whiteness as normative. Policies and practices such as competition organizations' rules and regulations, judges' commentary, and choreographic content are examined in relation to critical race theory to demonstrate how whiteness, white privilege, and white supremacy are performed on the competition stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to illuminate the challenges of integrating new technologies in private sector dance education and explores the formation of digitally mediated identities in adolescent female dancers. Autoethnographic research is supported by Foucauldian theory as well as surveillance and social media scholarship. Research examines how the imagined audience, produced by live-streamed closed-circuit television (CCTV), perpetuates the status quo in systems of Western concert dance education and creates new dimensions in dance competition culture. The values of the dominant class are embedded in institutional systems of training. Structural systems of oppression exclude marginalized groups and maintain the status quo. The argument is extended to include how the imagined audience produced by social media plays a role in reinforcing dance's established exclusionary aesthetic, as dancers create online identities to meet perceived audience expectations and build cultural capital. The discussion explores ways in which the imagined audience exacerbates current concerns in the field of dance education. Existing socioeconomic and institutional barriers perpetuate patriarchal values and reinforce gender expectations. In a post-pandemic world, teachers and students will negotiate new dimensions in dance education produced by manifestations of surveillance as this technological mediation will continue to be the norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the tacit norms of embodied turn-taking in a specific dance activity, Lindy Hop jam circles. Building on an extensive tradition of scrutinizing turn-taking in conversation, it shows how dancing couples negotiate the right to a next turn by visual means. Using multimodal interaction analysis, the article dissects the behavior of the exiting couple, the next dancing couple, and the spectators. The analysis shows that music is but one factor in turn-taking, and that maximally three publicly visible steps are necessary for a successful entrance: displaying "couplehood," displaying imminent entrance, and occupying the exclusive central space. In a case of competition the dancers' speed and determination are decisive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The indigenous beads-making industry in the Krobo communities in Ghana plays a significant role in improving the livelihood of rural dwellers and the national economy. However, studies have demonstrated that a host of indigenous industries in Ghana have been on the decline over the past century. Application of knowledge management (KM) methods to beads-making tacit indigenous knowledge (IK) can enhance the management and preservation of the industry in the same systematic manner as external knowledge. Objective: Being part of a PhD project, this study investigated how KM methods can be used to manage beads-making IK knowledge in the Krobo communities in eastern Ghana. Method: Qualitative data were collected using participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data were analysed thematically, and extracted manually from the transcripts and summarised into various themes. Results: The findings of the study revealed that the socialisation process of the knowledge creation model was intensively practised in the beads-making communities to create and utilise knowledge, while the internalisation, combination and externalisation processes were practised at a low rate. On the contrary, organising 'ba' and dialoguing 'ba' were practised and found in the communities, while systematising 'ba' and exercising 'ba' were rarely practised. Conclusion: The study concludes that the knowledge creation model can be partially used to manage indigenous beads-making IK in the Krobo communities in Ghana. The study recommended, among other things, the need for officials of community radio stations, especially state-owned radio and the information centres in the local communities, to develop and broadcast programmes to disseminate information relevant to beads producers so that beads-making knowledge creation and development in the communities do not disappear, and that they should utilise storytelling, drama, traditional dance and singing competitions in the local languages to support the preservation of indigenous beads making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]