An Introduction to Community Dance

Dance was relatively late among the performing arts to find a community language. It was only in the 1980s that it began to establish a consistent practice linking professional and non-professional dancers, but the work has subsequently grown quickly in scale and value. Today, community dance is nurtured by over 40 national and regional dance agencies, and this immediate and popular art may prove to be one of the most durable facets of the community arts movement that emerged in the 1960s.

Notwithstanding its essentially physical character, community dance has provoked a rich intellectual debate. New university courses, often taught by practitioners, have been accompanied by the emergence of an academic field notable for its receptiveness to non-academic voices. Diane Amans is a dance artist with many years’ experience in community dance, particularly in work with older people. She has drawn on that experience, and her well-filled contacts book, to produce a volume that should become a standard text for the next generation of community dance practitioners.
Like community dance, the book celebrates collaboration and diversity. The 14 contributors, who include well-known and emerging voices, bring different but not incompatible perspectives. The definition of community dance itself, a focus of early chapters, is rightly left open: the debate is still more important than the answer. Generous in spirit, the writers also embrace other voices and stories, including those of workshop participants, teachers, care workers and dance practitioners.
The book moves from critical questions about definition and purpose to very practical advice on how to run workshops. A rich stock of case studies and personal experiences – often moving – bring theoretical concerns to life. There are particularly valuable chapters on the ethical dilemmas that can arise in workshop situations and on the purpose and meaning of community performance. Dancers may gain most from helpful chapters on planning a session, a dance teacher’s duty of care or the well-filled resources section, but anyone with an interest in contemporary arts practice will find this artist’s perspective enlightening. Above all, this is an inspiring read that will give courage to all those dancers who work with community groups. There should be a well-thumbed copy in every dancer’s kitbag.