Dance education is a form of bodily enculturation. Dance is more than a set of complex movement patterns: dance is charged with meaning. This meaning can be symbolic, expressive, it can be an affective resonance or an emanating thought. In all cases the meaning arises from the qualitative dynamics of the dance (Sheets‐Johnstone, 2012). In this presentation I will look into the role of agency and a sense of ownership in learning a new dance. Traditionally, imitation is considered the most important learning strategy in a dance class. I will look into this notion of imitation and argue that imitation is much more than just copying a movement. In the reading and sharing of meaning ‐ the aesthetic intent of a dance movement ‐ the pupils match innerly felt intentions with outerly perceived intentions.

Carolien Hermans graduated (cum laude) at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, department of Orthopedagogy. Additionally, she studied dance and choreography (DAS Choreography). Carolien Hermans is currently a teacher at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She is also a researcher/ lecturer at the school of Arts and Economics at the University of the Arts in Utrecht. She is affiliated to the Institute for Cultural Inquiry, University of Utrecht, in collaboration with AHK, where she is doing a PhD research on the effects of dance on the kinesthetic communication of boys with ASD.