Dance research

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Dance research is the study of dance, including dance history, ethnochoreology, dance theory, dance anthropology, and dance science.

Dance research as an academic discipline is relatively new. In 1967, the first volume of the CORD Dance Research Annual wrote: "One of the most serious problems in dance research is found in the fact that the literati in the field are not yet the university people".^[1] Research methodologies in Dance can include descriptive research, qualitative research, survey research, correlational research, case studies, within-subject experiments, between group experiments, systematic reviews, and epidemiology research.^[2] In addition to research concerned with technical or aesthetic aspects of dance, research in the field of dance also often includes connections to scholarly disciplines that place dance in context, including social and literary history, philosophy, anthropology, and medical science.^[3]

Dance science is the scientific study of dance and dancers, as well as the practical application of scientific principles to dance, similar to sports science. Its aims are the enhancement of performance, the reduction of injury, and the improvement of well-being and health. While the dance sciences span a wide range of domains within which researchers and practitioners have a variety of backgrounds, a unifying interest of those studying and practicing dance science is promoting health, well-being, and optimum performance in dancers.^[4]