Dance and Ethics: Moving Towards a More Humane Dance Culture

An introductory study of ethical issues applied to the history and field of Western theatrical dance. 

This work examines ethics and the changing values in the world of dance, especially as faced by young dancers entering the profession. Since the 1960s, scholars and practitioners from the fields of dance education, somatics, and the realms of postmodern dance and ballet have increasingly believed that attitudes and practices involving psychological, physical, and sexual mistreatment of students and dancers must be challenged. 

Dance and Ethics examines key ethical issues related to the dance field, primarily within the United States, and how those directly impact different aspects of the lives of dance artists throughout their careers. The issues discussed include the basic ethical choices facing a dance artist in terms of whether to care about ethics or separate art from morality; ethical issues involved in student–teacher and dancer–choreographer relationships; how ethical concerns relate to the creation and reception of choreographic work; ethical aspects of the critical assessment of dance and dancers; and ethical issues related to presenting systems and institutional infrastructures within the dance field.

Naomi M. Jackson is professor in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University.