Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 1

How Dance Unites Cultures With a Focus on Adolescents

Sydney O. Odango

Global Connections

Instructor: Gregory Falls

December 8, 2017
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 2

Abstract

This paper explores the question, “How does dance unite cultures, especially among

adolescents?” Throughout the exploration of the topic, dance was analyzed as an unspoken

language, particularly how it expresses the values and vital components of a culture through a

nonverbal artistic expression. Analyzed research papers and published journals revealed that

dance is key to understanding a culture, as motion is a language that reflects the society in which

it exists. Dance intertwines people as a community by sharing the purpose of dance: to express

cultural identity. This purpose not only connects people across cultures, but it also affects

adolescents. Adolescents have a low self esteem and experience difficulty with expressing

themselves and finding their own identity. With dance, adolescents are able to better develop a

sense of who they are and a sense of being open-minded about the varying cultures around them.

Moreover, dance is a nonverbal medium through which adolescents can express their own

concerns with finding their identity and understanding the world with a broader comprehension.

Table of Contents
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 3

Abstract 2

Table of Contents 3

Introduction 4

Literature Review 5

Limitations 8

Discussion - Dance: The Bridge Between Cultures 10

Intertwining People as a Community 10

Adolescents 16

Conclusion 19

References 21

Appendix A 24
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 4

INTRODUCTION

Legendary American dancer, choreographer, and cultural ambassador Martha Graham

once said, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” For centuries, dance has been a form of

self expression, in all cultures across the globe, without the need for verbal cues. Dance is

indeed a language that can express the same ideas and concepts as words. Although this is an

unspoken language, there is a level of comprehension that allows for those who view dance to

understand its meaning. As with any language, comprehension is key and fundamental to

expressing specific ideologies, and so dancing utilizes physical movements to extend this

interpretation to a visual level, rather than relying on a vocal level. On the surface, dance

appears to be simply an art form that differs among cultures. However, a deeper analysis of the

topic proves that adolescents are affected by this unity.

Adolescents tend to have lower self esteem and an increase in self-awareness because

they are going through a stage in life, in which they are experiencing mental and emotional

changes. Not only does this affect their social development, but it also demonstrates that they

can have difficulty with expressing their own identity and feelings verbally. Therefore, dance

allows for a more coherent translation and interpretation because it is a non verbal

communication medium.

Dance communicates in ways that verbal cues cannot. Physical movements are relied on

to demonstrate various emotions and meanings, which can be more effective than simply stating

them. In many cultures, dance is used to tell stories and portray experiences, such as the

Polynesians utilizing hula dancing to portray tranquility and stories of lament through the use of

soft and graceful movements, or the Latino and Hispanic community utilizing dancing as a

means of bringing together families and friends (Akomobo 2016). Regardless of the experiences
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 5

or history being portrayed, cultures are united by this art form by its ability to express without

the need for a verbal interpretation. An entire culture’s identity can be expressed through dance,

as dance developed over the course of history with influences from experiences and significant

marks from a culture’s evolution. These factors unite cultures across the globe, and although the

experiences and techniques may vary, the purpose, the expression, and the intertwining of

peoples remain constant connectors among them.

Literature Review

In this literature review, the author will present four different topics that have tied various

literary sources together in the research of how dance unites cultures, especially among

adolescents. These various sources have been crucial to understanding the topic in which the

author will delve into, as they cover dance being an unspoken language, how dance is related to

cultural expressions, trends observed across the literary sources, and further studies that

demonstrate research among adolescents with regards to social development and self expression.

Dance as an Unspoken Language

Many experts in the dance industry and those who study ethnomusicology, which is the

field of study where music is analyzed in relation to culture or society, hold the position that

dance itself is an unspoken language. Missy McTamney of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts

Center in Maryland International concluded in her published research article for the University

of Maryland that movement and dance rituals provides genuine insight into a culture. Since

dance is considered both an art form and form of communication of history, origin stories,

celebrations, and many other aspects of a culture, literary sources have confirmed that motion is
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 6

a language, as stated by Anne-Kirstine Tischendorf in a 2005 research case study of the

Polynesian dance that is Hula. It is from experts who are referenced by researchers that explain

that dance is a reflection of the society in which it exists. Moreover, research has also shown

that dance patterns represent social values, economics, environments, and belief systems, which

could have been communicated through verbal cues, but are chosen to be expressed through

physical movements, as it incorporates individual and stylistic elements.

Cultural Expressions

Cultural expressions have widely been a focus in dance among cultures. Many experts

who have studied dance extensively across cultures and specialize in the field of research note

that dance celebrates many things, ranging from life to death to all special events in between.

Many choreographers, including cultural ambassador Martha Graham, Assistant Professor of

Dance in the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Miriam Phillips, and

New York-based dancer and choreographer Ray Mercer, all conclude that dance has expressed

the history and values of the culture to which each one belongs to. According to Phillips (2012),

“Dance is embodied in culture,” and so in order to understand the values that are being

expressed, it is necessary to understand and appreciate heritage. Furthermore, values and history

that have been shown through dance include history, and spiritual values, which have been

demonstrated through dance as a form of instruction and inspiration.

Trends
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 7

Trends among the author’s research in literary resources arose predominantly in the

historical aspect of a culture. Studies among the author’s research have led to a widely

supported conclusion that in order to truly understand a dance from a different culture, history

must be taken into account. Heritage is vital to cultures across the globe, and so dance has

become a form of communication that carries the history and heritage down to future

generations. Hula dancing, for example, has roots that go back to prehistoric times before

contact with westerners. According to Tischendorf, the Hawaiian history tradition was oral and

written documentation was rarely commonplace in the culture prior to contact with westerners,

which resulted in a dependency on dance as the carrier of historical traditions. History has been

engraved into the various dance movements of cultures, thus allowing for learners to grasp a

further understanding of the culture itself.

Adolescents

As adolescents are the primary focus of the author’s target group for research, social and

emotional development of adolescents is crucial to understand when analyzing how dance and

adolescents are related to each other with regards to the research question. As the author

researched the socioemotional development of adolescents, the author noticed that many studies

conducted by psychologists and neuroscientists marked the adolescent years as being between

the ages of 15 and 17, a crucial time for social cognitive development in humans. These

adolescent years, also known as the teenage years, are a hub of many emotional and social

changes, such as heightened interest in romantic relationships and sexuality, increased desire for
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 8

independence, and a spike in awareness in other people. During the adolescent years, maturity

has yet to reach its peak, and oftentimes, adolescents have trouble expressing themselves in ways

that would be deemed of mature verbal communication. Biologically, the brain has not matured

yet, causing a difficulty in self expression of certain emotions, especially when it comes to

identity or intimate relationships.

Limitations

Geographical Limitations. Being able to venture to a different country and observe the

cultural dances in their native cultures would be ideal, but there is an inability for the author to

go to the physical location, creating a geographical limitation. Although, these geographical

limitations do not allow for the author to conduct as thorough a research as she would if she were

present for all cultural dance. However, this does not impede her research, rather it sets

limitations as to what research she can conduct on a national and international level.

Time Limitations. There are certain time constraints with the author’s research on dance.

Given the time limit of only three months to conduct a thorough research and investigation of the

topic, the author lacks the time allotted to complete a full diagnostic of the topic and delve into

connections with experts in the field who are of cultures on separate continents entirely.

Additionally, the time constraint limits the author from being able to attend international dance

festivals that would allow her to see first-hand how dance is being utilized culturally.

Lack of Written Records. Due to dance being rooted as an unspoken language, there is a

lack of written records that explain dance and the meanings behind the movements. As the art

form is performed and remembered through visuals, written explanations of the art form would

not be able to truly depict them in the same way as, for example, a video record. Additionally,
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 9

the author would look towards videos and photographs to analyze the topic, rather than written

documents that attempt to portray the art form in words. However, the author does not limit

herself to interviews and written papers on the topic, rather there is a lack of written records that

explain the art form, as it is much more so a visual appeal.

Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 10

Dance: The Bridge Between Cultures

In regards to the essential question of how dance unites cultures among adolescents,

dance has become an integral part of culture. The history, technique, and purpose of dancing has

connected cultures rather than separated them, given that it is rooted as an unspoken language.

Within the body of this research, the author will demonstrate how dance intertwines people as a

community and affects adolescents by influencing their own self expression.

Intertwining People as a Community

Dance is a reflection of culture, as it demonstrates the identity of that particular culture

through movements. In an interview with Miriam Phillips, the Assistant Professor of Dance in

the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, Missy McTamney asks questions

regarding her experience with educating students about the cultures of the world through the

dance medium. “Dance is embodied culture,” according to Philips (2012). Her experience in the

field of dance, taking into account her work with the art of flamenco and study abroad in Spain,

India, and the Middle East, demonstrates the profound education one receives when learning a

dance from a different ethnic background. This education consists of cultural values, heritage,

history, and celebrations that are crucial to the identity of the culture.

Without dance, these things cannot be fully understood. Dance is both an extension and a

reflection of the society, therefore a culture cannot be understood entirely without looking at the

dance aspect and attempting to understand it. While words are a method of conveying ideas,

dance allows for those who find difficulty with words to utilize a method that expresses the same
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 11

exact ideas in a nonverbal manner, with more coherency. This also proves to be an opportunity

to increase understanding and coherent expression. In an interview with professional dancer,

choreographer, and instructor, Rebekah Klyukin, the author discovers the following information

about expression:

“However, we have also had many introverted and more “shy” people that have truly

opened up and found a “home” on the dance floor. It has helped them learn to express

themselves better, not only physically on the dance floor, but verbally as well.”

(Klyukin, 2017)

While each culture has specific values and differences that seem to set it apart from the

rest, values and heritage is similar across cultures, thus knitting them together as a people and a

community. Dance not only embodies culture, but it also incorporates individual and communal

artistic views (John Hopkins University Press, Luke C. Kahlich 2011). Being that the United

States is a diverse nation and a culmination of countless cultures with varying ideologies, it is not

surprising to find that dances reflect both an individualistic philosophy and community values.

Taking into account the complex influences that the United States has, there are a wide array of

individual and communal artistic views that reflect the social, religious, cultural, and political

realms of said cultures. Polynesian and Latin cultures, specifically, exhibit this concept, as the

Hawaiian Islands utilize Hula dancing and the Dominican Republic utilize Merengue.

Polynesian and Latin cultures may contrast each other at a glance because of

geographical differences; however, deeper analysis proves they are quite similar. Hula dancing,
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 12

which originates from the people of Hawaii, holds more than sheer entertainment purposes.

Anne-Kristine Tischendorf’s research on the history and purposes of Hula dancing found the

following:

“It’s roots go back to pre-historic times. Before contact with the westerners the Hawaiian

history tradition was oral, only some petroglyphs are found as possible ‘written’

documentation. Preservation and continuation of the history was dependent on the

excellent memory of the keepers of tradition.” (Tischendorf 2005)

Dance is indeed an unspoken language. It utilizes motion to convey certain concepts and

ideas that would otherwise be lost in verbal translation. This is a form of communication that

relies on a nonverbal medium instead of a verbal one. With Hawaiian culture, learning the

tradition of Hula allows for that person to also learn about how the structure of the language,

which is the dance, embodies Hawaiian values. Because of westernization, Hawaiians were

forced to suppress the cultural expression. However, the traditions were kept alive and it grew

even stronger by utilizing the Hula Competitions, an invention in honor of King Kalakaua, to

revive interest in the ancient style of hula and its traditions (Tischendorf, 2005). Such a revival

of interest in the style of hula has carried out to modern times, where there are social movements

and a resurgence of the Hawaiian culture. In a published article for the Cultural Survival

organization, author Linnekin Jocelyn in 1982, noted that the Hawaiian culture has become more

of tourist attraction rather than a desire for cultural understanding. Recently, however, there has

been a large revival in Hawaiian culture and traditions in order to bring seriousness about the
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 13

culture and awareness of not capitalizing on a stereotype of a culture, such as tourists coming to

Hawaii to see the exotic women in scantily clad outfits dancing in a scandalous manner. With

this revival, Hula dancing proves to be the medium to express the Hawaiians’ concerns in

situations where words aren’t enough.

This would be useful, as a similar need arose when Martha Graham was chosen by the

State Department to venture on a performance and lecture tour of 16 Asian cities in November of

1955. Of course, modern dance was unfamiliar to most of her audience, but the State

Department judged it as an overwhelming success. Later, in 1966, Martha Graham continued

with her State Department tour in Lisbon and performed Clytemnestra. After her tour in Lisbon,

President Ford, along with his wife who studied dance with Graham, awarded Graham the Medal

of Freedom - the nation’s highest civilian honor and the first Medal of Freedom to go to a dancer

(Library of Congress).

Both the needs of the Hula and the need of the State Department demonstrated a need for

a communication medium. Without a medium that would be able to be interpreted across a

universe of cultures, certain values and messages could not be received. Dance provided an

opportunity for certain views and points to be made in a more composed, poignant, and focused

manner. Moreover, traditions, just like values, are expressed in a generational approach.

Traditions expressed through Hula dancing has been passed down from generation to

generation in order to maintain cultural values and identity. These values include legends,

family lineage, and the understandings of the culture. As David Akombo (2016) puts it, “This
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 14

dance, in effect, is the driving force of the Hawaiian culture.” When a dance is considered to be

the driving force of a culture, this calls attention to the expression that the art form portrays.

Much like the Hula dancing, Merengue of Latin America, which originated in the Dominican

Republic, the dance is a reflection of the culture and to deny the dance or its origins is to deny

the culture’s identity entirely.

Merengue is an artful expression of Dominican life and identity, national and racial

identity, and was part of a movement that heightened nationalism. The dance has become a core

component across the country; however, “the remoteness and readiness of their people to adapt

instrumentation to whatever was available created many variants distinct to each region. Several

different types of merengue have developed.” (Akombo, 2016). The Merengue has become a

source of identity that allows for the country to incorporate self expression into all aspects of

their lives. Historically, Merengue became integrated into the society via an amalgamation of

Taino, Spanish, French, African, and Haitian backgrounds, thus causing the Dominican Republic

to struggle with finding a national identity that would encompass so many varying cultures (Jata

2004). In a research study on the origins of Merengue, Jata found the following:

“By studying the merengue, a new light Merengue could be easily recognized as the

popular genre in the lower income populations throughout the early 1920s, and continued

to infiltrate the musical scene until finally being accepted by the elite classes in the 1950s

(Behague 1994). The acceptance of the merengue by the elite classes was crucial to its

establishment as an emblem of national identity for the Dominican Republic.”

Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 15

This statement alone connects the Hawaiian culture and Latin culture because both have

experienced a sense of establishing character and expressing it without denial. To deny the

African influence and to deny Merengue’s influence from the lower class would be to deny the

entire culture’s identity. Much like Merengue, the westernization and denial of the Hawaiian

culture was to deny an entire culture’s sense of who they are. Although, from that denial came a

stronger sense of cultural identity. Rather than letting the suppression take place, both cultures

accepted it and the dances flourished as a symbol of their identities.

This intertwines people as a community, for dance has demonstrated a purpose that is

crucial to many cultures: expressing identity and carrying out values.

Adolescents

Adolescents, which is defined as the age range of 15 to 17, is a time of mental and

emotional development where identity becomes a time of questioning and children begin to form

a sense of who they are. Self esteem and self expression are crucial during this stage of life. In

the research paper from Oxford, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Choudhury,

Blakemore, and Charman (2006), they said the following about adolescents:

“The emergence of the social self seems to be marked by a period of heightened self-

consciousness, during which adolescents are thought to become increasingly preoccupied

with other people’s concerns about their actions, thoughts and appearance.”

Adolescents are in a stage of life that is characterised by an “increase in the complexity of

group interactions and thus social behavior” (Choudhury, Blakemore, Charman, 2006). Not
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 16

only is social behavior affected through biological reactions, but it is also due to an increased

attention to the processing of emotional information and concerns with other people’s opinions.

Because this is a period of finding one’s identity and understanding of self with relation to

society, adolescents are more likely to feel much more sadness or depression, which can lead to

poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, and unsafe sex. Such an urge of emotional turmoil

without a medium through which self expression can be fully conveyed results in further

conflicts with delinquency, substance abuse, and other youth problems. In a formal research

paper by Stacey Smith-Israel from Providence College in Providence Rhode Island on 2009, she

found the following information:

“Communication with this age group is complicated and needs to be done in a specific

way. Teenagers need to feel that they are understood. They should be engaged in

conversation through ways of creative therapy. This includes role-playing, art projects,

jewelry making, relaxation methods and so forth….clients [adolescents] are more likely

to develop an understanding of their emotions and in turn, be able to redirect their anger

in positive ways because of a newly developed self-awareness… The creative therapy

techniques positively contribute to the helping relationship by enabling the adolescent to

learn new ways of self-expression…”

Creative therapy, although initially designed for social workers to assist adolescents, can

be broadened onto a universal and cultural level. Scientifically speaking, creative therapy is a

type of therapy that is used to help adolescents with “emotion recognition in order to decrease
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 17

the frequency, duration and intensity of their episodes of anger” (Smith-Israel 34). However,

dance is a form of creative therapy, as it does increase the ability to coherently demonstrate self-

expression. In a novel, written by Judith Lynne Hanna, about how dance is a form of nonverbal

communication, she said the following:

“Dance is psychological, involving cognitive and emotional experiences affected by and

affecting an individual’s personal and group life. Thus dance serves as a means of

knowing and coping with socially induced tensions and aggressive feelings.”

Since dance provides the opportunity and ability to articulate identity, this further assists

adolescents and helps them to be more open-minded about the world around them, while

expressing the values that make up their own culture in a nonverbal manner. Given that

adolescents’ problems with conveying self expression is normal, having dance as a medium

through which they can express their identity and culture allows for them to better their self

esteem and handle changes in mentality and emotions. Moreover, dance is a reflection of

cultural identity, which is crucial to understand when looking at how dance affects adolescents

on a multi-cultural scale.

Given that adolescents are moving towards more independence and developing a sense of

who they are, the concept of motion being a language is used to communicate these feelings.

Identity is critical, whether it is individually or on a cultural level. Therefore, dance is a medium

that provides for identity to be explored and expressed without the difficulty of expressing
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 18

certain emotions with verbal cues. Adolescents benefit from learning cultural dances, as they

would better develop an identity and be more open-minded to the world around them.

Conclusion

Dance, an unspoken language, is a nonverbal medium through which adolescents can

better express their own identity while understanding the identities of those who are of different

ethnic backgrounds. To answer the question of “How does dance unite cultures, especially

among adolescents:” dance provides a way for adolescents to explore the cultures around them

while developing a sense of who they are, and it intertwines people as a community by sharing a

purpose of cultural and identity expression. Regardless of geographical and historical

differences between Polynesian and Latin cultures, there are similarities that cannot be ignored;

these similarities are connected by the very nonverbal medium the author sought to investigate:

dance.

Dance is a reflection of the very society in which it exists, thus allowing for those who

learn a dance from a different culture to understand the culture’s values, history, and identity in

an artful manner. This manner is a form of expression for history, heritage, celebrations, and

anything of importance to the culture while incorporating individualistic and community artistic

views. Dance demonstrates the values of a culture, which is similar across many cultures, being

rooted as an unspoken language.

This root is helpful and affects adolescents due to their mental and emotional

development. Their self esteem and self expression are simultaneously affected, as they become
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 19

more self conscious and aware of others’ opinions and develop a sense of who they are. With all

of these biological changes, dance is a helpful tool and medium for adolescents, across multiple

cultures, to unite. Dance is psychological, as it utilizes cognitive and emotional experiences to

create an entire perspective to serve as a means of conveying concepts that could not be

expressed verbally. That being said, Klyukin provides revealing information about self-

confidence from her experience in the dance world:

“In general, I would say that adolescents really want to have people like them and to have

friends. It is certainly a part of maturing to feel comfortable in your own skin. I think it

is hard for teens to truly be themselves and transparent to people because they are afraid

that someone will “reject” their true selves.” (Klyukin 2017)

Thus, motion being a language, adolescents would benefit from learning dance in order to

communicate their true selves without the fear of rejection of their own cultural identity. Dance

is a bridge between cultures, and adolescents are crucial members of society, thus coherently

expressing identity and emotions is important. Not only does dance connect people as a

community, but it also connects adolescents on a deeper level by providing a language for them

to artistically communicate.
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 20

References

Akombo, D. O. (2016). The unity of music and dance in world cultures. Jefferson, NC: McFarland

& Company.

Bernstein, L. (2010, July 11). Hope for America: Performers, Politics and Pop CultureCultural

Diplomacy. Retrieved December 05, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/hope-for-

america/cultural-diplomacy.html

Child Development. (2017, October 24). Retrieved December 05, 2017, from

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence2.html

Choudhury, S., Blakemore, S., & Charman, T. (2006, December 01). Social cognitive

development during adolescence | Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience | Oxford

Academic. Retrieved December 05, 2017, from

https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/1/3/165/2362733/Social-cognitive-development-during-

adolescence

Gan, V. (2013, December 09). How the Language of Dance and Movement Transcends Cultures.

Retrieved December 05, 2017, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-

institution/how-the-language-of-dance-and-movement-transcends-cultures-180949046/

Jata, E. (2004). Merengue and the Dominican Republic. Retrieved December 05, 2017, from

http://www.units.miamioh.edu/ath175/student/jataek/
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 21

Kahlich, L. C. (n.d.). Dance. Retrieved December 05, 2017, from https://eas-

ref.press.jhu.edu/dance.html

Klyukin, R. (2017, December 2). Dance and Adolescents from a Professional Pesrpective [E-mail

interview].

Selling Hawaiian Culture. (1982, September). Retrieved December 05, 2017, from

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/selling-hawaiian-

culture

Smith-Israel, S. (2009, June 24). Creative Therapy and Adolescents: Emotion Regulation and

Recognition in a Psycho-Educational Group for 9th Grade Students [Scholarly project]. In

DigitalCommons@Providence. Retrieved December 5, 2017, from

http://digitalcommons.providence.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=socialwrk_st

udents

Tischendorf, A. (2005, June 06). Hula: Past and Present, Local and Global. Retrieved December

05, 2017, from https://www.huna.org/html/a-khula.html

To Dance is Human. (1979). Retrieved December 05, 2017, from

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7YrqN-

uPf0cC&oi=fnd&pg=PR17&dq=%22dance%2Bin%2Bculture%22&ots=CY0TVaLPKo&sig=

uck6h6To8UVsQMZClD45cXBLJe8#v=onepage&q=%22dance%20in%20culture%22&f=fals

e
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 22

UNDERSTANDING A CULTURE THROUGH ITS DANCE TRADITIONS. (2012, May 18).

Retrieved December 05, 2017, from https://www.arhu.umd.edu/news/understanding-culture-

through-its-dance-traditions
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 23

Appendix A

INTERVIEWER: How are dances of different cultures explained to the students who learn its

dances?

REBEKAH KLYUKIN: The different styles (for example Latin vs Standard) all have their own

unique flavor. For example, Latin dances are very rhythmical in the body movement to match

the rhythms of the dance music. Sometimes the “history” or country of origin of the dance can

be helpful in explaining a particular dance feeling to the students. ie, the Samba originated in

Brazil and came about because of the Carnivals they had. The dance is supposed to embrace this

fun carnival feeling… so explaining that to students is helpful. Dances, like the Waltz and

Viennese Waltz which originated in Austria and have been popular throughout England and

other European countries. They have become popular among “high society” and have a more

elegant feel to them.

INTERVIEWER: How do students respond to the dances?

REBEKAH KLYUKIN: In general the younger students tend to prefer the Latin dances and

older students tend to prefer the more classic “Ballroom” dances. Most of the students who

come to the studio have commented that learning the dances was more fun than they thought it

would be.

INTERVIEWER: In your experience, do adolescents who dance tend to express themselves

because they have dance as a medium?

Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 24

REBEKAH KLYUKIN: Ballroom/Latin dancing is a great activity for teens to get involved in.

I find that with the extroverted and more theatrical type people it is just a continuation and

additional way for them to express themselves. However, we have also had many introverted

and more “shy” people that have truly opened up and found a “home” on the dance floor. It has

helped them learn to express themselves better, not only physically on the dance floor, but

verbally as well.

INTERVIEWER: In your professional opinion, do you think students who learn dances of

different cultures tend to be more open-minded individuals?

REBEKAH KLYUKIN: I am not sure if it that people who are more open-minded tend to give

dancing a try and those seem more open-minded than the general population or if learning the

dances tends to open people’s minds. That being said, there are a lot of different personalities

that come to our studio and people become “friends” that normally wouldn’t be because they

have the common bond of dance.

INTERVIEWER: Do adolescents have a better self esteem coming out of the program than they

did going in?

REBEKAH KLYUKIN: DEFINITELY. I have seen many teens and adults alike actually make

tremendous strides in improving their self-confidence through dance.

INTERVIEWER: What are sources of adolescents’ self-consciousness, from your perspective?

REBEKAH KLYUKIN: In general, I would say that adolescents really want to have people like

them and to have friends. It is certainly a part of maturing to feel comfortable in your own skin.
Running Head: DANCE UNITES CULTURES 25

I think it is hard for teens to truly be themselves and transparent to people because they are afraid

that someone will “reject” their true selves.