Stories We Dance / Stories We Tell

Higher education continually mediates long standing traditions while seeking new ways of thinking. This navigation exists as a quiet tension, as institutions respond to shifting and multiple socio-cultural values in their local, national, and international communities. Dance in higher education is not immune from this pressure; programs need to consider intersecting obligations to build a more equitable curriculum, meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, and prepare students for a wider array of dance-based careers. Dance faculty are on the front lines of these recalibrations. Because of their critical role in stewarding the next generation of dance artists-educators-scholars-leaders and change in higher education, more attention must be given to learning from the experiences of those committed to dance in higher education.
This collection articulates and considers these lived experiences, revealing the inner workings of how dance exists in higher education. The autoethnographic essays within this text vary in style and scope, yet each distinctly illuminates the overt and unspoken pressures encountered across one’s career trajectories. By unearthing and contextualizing hidden challenges, expectations, and opportunities, the authors speak to possibilities for how proactive change for dance in higher education can occur.