Dance Movement Therapy Commons^™

Interdisciplinary Integration: Linking Differentiated P(Arts) To Create Accessible Dance Experiences, Kate Corby, Mariah M. Lefeber, Mary L. Patterson

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

This article introduces Performing Ourselves, an interdisciplinary community dance program that utilizes principles from dance education and dance/movement therapy to serve beginning dancers in grades PK-8 in schools and community centers. After defining the integrative elements of the curriculum, the article outlines how Performing Ourselves used the shift to virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of creating accessible dance opportunities. In addition to the exploration of how one arts organization approached this challenging time, the article offers ideas and further questions for integrative interdisciplinarity in the arts.