EcoJustice Approach to Dance Education

Abstract

Heatwaves, extinct species, and broadly polluted areas worldwide are apparent signs of the human-caused ecological crises. Scholars agree that a collective ecological change is needed to save the Earth. Thus, we must critically reflect how we, as dance educators, are dependent on how dance is defined, and how its educational aims and practices are justified in the era of ecocrisis. In this article, we suggest an EcoJustice approach to dance education. This theoretical study is based on the EcoJustice education framework but draws from our practices as dance educators and the directors of community dance projects. In this article, we open up a discussion on the ways that the processes of dance education can lead to an ecosocially informed paradigm shift. We will suggest three aspects considering the three aspects of an EcoJustice approach to dance education: 1) celebrating diversity, 2) recognizing the lived body, and 3) practicing co-creation.