Dance serves humanity. (Readers' Forum).

I teach dance in a liberal-arts university in California. One course is called World Dance Expressions, a G.E.-level dance course in which students get historical and cultural perspective on dance forms from all races of people that have given the world such a rich tapestry of performance forms. In addition to dancing, one project is to find an article in Dance Magazine that gives a picture of a current trend in dance and to present this article to the class in a three- or four-minute oral news flash. Besides saying what the article is about, students must say why it interested them and how it connects to the diversity/common-ground goals of this course. Articles that are of most interest to my students are those that connect a current dance artist or trend to something social, political, or spiritual. My students are most impressed with dancers, teachers, choreographers, and companies who use dance for social, educational, and spiritual healing, rather than articles about who's who in the dance world.

I am sure that those who love to dance and aspire to become dance artists will always be interested in the current leading artists. However, I feel Dance Magazine is in a perfect place to focus more attention on how dance has served and continues to serve humanity by upholding value systems, shaping new trends within societies, and revealing to people their innermost needs to bind together within their communities. These are, to me, the greatest and most lasting powers that connect all people to dance.

Linda Sievers, Professor
Department of Theatre, Film, and Dance
Humboldt State University