Often one’s experience with dance as a child, especially growing up at a commercial studio, includes a physical and technical understanding of dance. At Canada’s National Academy of Dance Education we have made it out mission to expand the understanding of dance beyond the realms of its physicality, to explore its unconscious experience, historical connections and physiology with the hopes of offering considerations to dance educators and studio owners for ways of incorporating a more wholistic dance education experience in their dance classes. These opportunities enrich dancers experience with, and understanding of, dance while opening minds and doors to the world of dance. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Deborah Williams who will give us some insight into her research surrounding the themes of social value and representation in dance.

GUEST: Dr Deborah Williams is a dancer and dance scholar, with expertise in anthropology and oral history of dance. She has a BA in Dance (Smith College), an MA in Dance Anthropology and a PhD (both from University of Roehampton). She currently teaches in the School of Performing Arts at the University of Malta and is engaged in a multi-year oral history project profiling all forms of dance/dancers, titled Red Dance Shoe Stories. She is also a collaborator and developer of the field of Ludochoreology, using anthropological and embodied dance expertise to inform the development of movement and world- building within online, digital games.