"In the eight years since I first had the germ of an idea about the possibility of connecting percussive dance and math at the elementary level I have had more questions than answers about the nature of arts integration, specifically in relation to mathematics...
"After some years of sitting on this question, and a few more of actively searching for answers, I think I have finally come to an understanding about what is going on in Math in Your Feet. I am much clearer on how the math and the dance interact beyond specific math topics and vocabulary. These are answers about the really interesting, important connections between percussive choreography and mathematical thinking, moving well beyond memorization and procedure and into the real processes of doing math. They are also answers about the choices I made as I brought my art form and the strange, beautiful world of mathematics together for young learners."Ostensibly, the audience for this piece includes arts educators and teaching artists but I humbly submit that anyone interested in interdisciplinary teaching or learning, especially in concert with mathematics, may be able to take something of value from this piece. And, the same goes for math educators interested in how to harness what Seymour Papert called 'body knowledge' (in his seminal book Mindstorms) in a way that maintains an authentic learning experience in both math and dance.
You can read the entire article here. This piece is the result of over two years of investigation, thinking, learning, exploring and question asking. I am curious to hear your thoughts, observations and, hopefully what new questions you might have. Any feedback you wish to share will be extremely helpful as I begin to conceptualize and outline a much bigger writing project that will considerably expand on the ideas in this new article.
