Dance and the Quality of Life

This is the first volume devoted to the topic of dance and quality of life. Thirty-one chapters illuminate dance in relation to singular and overlapping themes of nature, philosophy, spirituality, religion, life span, learning, love, family, teaching, creativity, ability, socio-cultural identity, politics and change, sex and gender, wellbeing, and more. With contributions from a multi-generational group of artists, community workers, educators, philosophers, researchers, students and health professionals, this volume presents a thoughtful, expansive-yet-focused, and nuanced discussion of dance’s contribution to human life. The volume will interest dance specialists, quality of life researchers, and anyone interested in exploring dance’s contribution to quality of living and being.

Dr. Karen Bond is Chair of the Temple University Department of Dance, Philadelphia, USA. She was formerly Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of Dance Education and Research at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where she developed several of Australia’s first Master’s level courses in dance. She was a founding member of Al Wunder’s Theatre of the Ordinary, Australia's first improvisational performance company, and of Adzohu, a West African music and dance ensemble based at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She is known for her research into experiences and meanings of dance for participants from a range of populations and settings encompassing education, community arts, performance and therapy. Dr. Bond is widely published in books, journals and conference publications, and has presented papers, courses, and workshops in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Saipan, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the USA. In 2013, she was the inaugural recipient of the Outstanding Dance Education Researcher Award from the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO).