This collection holds the research, scholarship, and creative works of Theatre Arts & Dance students. It includes content such as dissertations, theses, capstones, presentations, and more.
This collection is automatically populated through other Student Work collections. For your work to be added to this collection, submit your work to the appropriate Student Work collection or contact the administrator.
Theses from 2023
Making it Stick: Exploring Teaching Tools for Choreography Retention in High School Musicals, Katie Arjona
Assessing University Dance Programs: Evaluating the Dance Education Vs Performance Majors for Teacher Preparedness, Kionna N. Burgess
A comparison of the perceived effects of injury on collegiate dancers and athletes, Megan Chiles
Brain Dance and Brain Power: Impact of Movement on Problem-Solving Skills for Exceptional Learners, Kristin Crain
Confidence in the Classroom: A Guide for Teaching Dance to Exceptional Learners, Brianna Janae Denmark
Factors Shaping the Choreographic Process of Studio Dance Teachers, Anna Duvall
Dance and Emotional Intelligence: Mitigating Anxiety in the Modern Teen, Bridget Morris
Strength-Training Curriculum for Middle and High School Dancers in a Studio Setting, Monica Taplin
Integrating BrainDance Inspired Movement into the Classroom: Elementary Teachers Respond to the Outcomes of Student Involvement, Callie Taylor
Putting Dance in Triple Threat: Confidence and Knowledge of Dancing in Middle School Actors, Miranda Taylor
Theses from 2022
Are Competition Trained Dancers Ready for a College Dance Program?, Alison Durham
Finding One's Artistic Voice Through Use of Movement Exploration, Improvisation, and Reflective Writing, Maureen Glennon Clayton
Dance Education in Pennsylvania Charter Schools: Advocating for Parity Among the Core Arts Disciplines, Donna Lynch
Switching “Leader” and “Follower” Roles: The Wedding First Dance as a Representation of a Modern Relationship, Anna Magidson
Empathy, Inclusion, Equity, Integration, Oneness: Best Practices in Lower Elementary Dance Education, Charity Metzger
Use of National/State Dance Standards and the Effect on High School Student Preparation Levels for College Admission Requirements, Rebbecca Meyers
Social Emotional Learning and Its Development Through Dance: Comparing the Opinions of Dance Educators and Non-dance Educators, Teresa Pachniak
Make Up! An Exploration of Choreographic Methods: Transforming Sailor Moon Into Concert Dance, Nathaniel Drake Parrott
Who’s Teaching Whom? A Dance Concert Exploring Teacher-Led, Student-Led, and Collaborative Choreographic Methods, Robin Suing
Theses from 2021
Community Perspective: How Participating in the Nutcracker Enhances Student Motivation and Growth in Socioeconomically Depressed Public Schools, Angelina Burleigh
Best Practices to Build Relationships between Students with Exceptionalities and General Education Students in a Unified Dance Class, Charlotte Cook
Competitive Dance: The Physiological and Psychological Effects from the Perspectives of Current Versus Retired Dancers, Kristen DeMaria
Dancing the Pilates Way: The Possible Effects of Pilates on the Alignment of a Dancers' Body, Darla Jentzsch
Heartbeat in the Sole: A Study of How Appalachian Dance Preserves, Shapes, and Enriches the Culture in Which it is Performed, Rachel Marlowe
Barriers to Dance Education: An Exploration Into the Beliefs of Dance Educators and Non-dance Familiars on Dance and Its Place in the Public-school System, Brianna Michelle Miller
Kaleidoscopic Katas: An Intercultural Somatic Curriculum for Holistic Health, Emily Seymour
A New Curriculum: Supporting Social Emotional Learning Using Mindfulness Motivated Choreography in High School, Whitney Haslam Warner
Balancing Increased Physical Demands: An Analysis of Cross-Training Practices in Young Adult Ballet Dancers, Brooke Yuspeh
Theses from 2020
Participation in Ballroom Dancing: The Effects on the Social and Emotional Intelligence of Adolescents, Ashley Baxter
Educational Leadership Can Dance: A Deeper Look into the Efficiency Behind Evaluations of Dance Educators, Helen Brown
A Restorative Resource: Dance-Based Non-Profits That Operate to Benefit Sex Trafficked Victims, Jessica Coleman
From Concrete to the Classroom: A Street Dance Toolkit, Tarayjah Hoey-Gordon
English Language Learners in the Dance Classroom: Building Bridges to Rigorous Language Acquisition, Breegan Kearney
Rethinking Classical Ballet Pedagogy: Examining Advancements that Integrate a Modern Approach, Erika Lindblom
Missing in Action: Locating the Body in Interdisciplinary Studies, Ann Lenore Moradian
Strictly Ballroom: Examining how the Culture of Collegiate Ballroom Dance Influences Body Image Perceptions, Rachel Neil
The Impact of Alexander Technique on Efficiency and Ease of Movement in Kindergarten through 5th-Grade Students, Mary Catherine Polesnak
Unique Considerations for Creating High School Musical Theatre Choreography, Tahlia Remer
Dignity and Respect in the Salsa Dance Classroom: Fostering Healthy Self-Esteem to Promote Compassion, Diana Sanchez
Implementing Support Materials for Students With Special Needs in an Inclusive Classroom, Ana Vazquez
Fostering Resilience: Integrating Positive Character Strengths With Dance Making Skills to Help Young Children Cope With Adversity, Laura Vormwald
Theses from 2019
Using Laban’s Efforts to Define Movement in Five Music Genres, Ashley Ames
Teacher Evaluation Systems and Their Impact Upon Academic Dance Educators and Their Evaluators, Elizabeth C. Brennan
The Effects of Dance on Gross Motor Skills and Strength in Students with Down Syndrome, Jennifer Canfield
Closing the Opportunity Gap in and through Dance: A New Rubric Design, Emily Hunter
The Missing Art: Dance Advocacy and Inter-Arts Collaboration in New Jersey Public High Schools, Vicki Jenkins
The Power of Environment as a Tool for Inspiration: Engaging Students Through In-Studio Vs Site-Specific Choreography, Taylor Kath
Social Activism: Teaching Activism Through Socially Conscious Plays, Alanna Kiewe
The Monkey Queen: Creating Cultural Connections through Theatre for Young Audiences, Matt Loehrke
Shall We Dance: Responses of Participants to a Dance Class Designed for Parkinson’s Patients, Brittni Lynn McAlister
Preparing Future Dance Educators for Diverse Student Populations, Kaylee Anne Morrison
The Power of Dance: How Dance Effects Mental and Emotional Health and Self-Confidence in Young Adults, Amber Salo
Dance Competitions: The Culture, the Training, and the Effects on Young Dancers, Teresa Schmitt
A Slice of the Big Apple: An Exploration of the Impact of Travel on High School Students’ Choreographic Process, Lauren Seibel
"To Get a Job in a Broadway Chorus, Go into Your Dance:" Education for Careers in Musical Theatre Dance, Lauran Stanis
Developing Literacy in a Rehearsal Setting: Matilda the Musical, Andrew Tribe
Embodying Empathy: Engaging High School Students in Social Awareness Through the Choreographic Process, Rachel Wade
Theses from 2018
Discovering Countries and Their Cultures Through Movement: Fifth-Grade Students Developing Awareness and Empathy Toward Each Other, Rebecca S. Epstein
Perceptions of Technology in Dance Education: the Effect of Technology on Student Learning and Teaching Strategies of the Twenty-First Century Skills in Dance Education, Anna Kristine Gradwohl
Dancing the Diaspora: Discovering the Influence of Traditional and Tribal African Dance in the History of African-American Social and Concert Dance in the Caribbean and the United States, Kerri-Noelle Humphrey
Collaborating, Creating and Implementing: a Cohesive Project-Based Learning Social Studies Unit with the Goal of Deepening Third Grade Student Learning Experiences, Sarah Avery Kulchinsky
The Boys Next Door: Progressing Disability Awareness And Representation Through Inclusive Production Practices, Shelby Lewis
Teaching Musical Theatre Skills in the Performance-Based Classroom: James and the Giant Peach, Kelsey Alys Meiklejohn
Cultivating and Fostering Creativity, Communication, Collaboration and Critical Thinking Through the Choreographic Dance Making Process: A Dance Curriculum for Urban Elementary Students, Kristen Sylvia Mercer
Progressing Flight: A Transformative and Somatically-Informed Performance Practice for the Aerial Dance Student Practitioner, Rosalinda Rojas
Improving Student Skills Through Video-Guided Assessments in the Dance Classroom, Kate Elizabeth Secor
Theses from 2017
Building the More Confident Student Choreographer Through Writing: The Use of Prompts to Guide the Choreographic Process, Yvette Bennett
Dance for Special Needs Students: Building Confidence and Motor Skills, Jennifer Monique Dabalsa
The Value of Choice: An Exploratory Case Study on the Intrinsic Motivation of Dance Students Within the Creative Process, Jenna M. Gonsalves
Let's Dance! Designing and Assessing Dance-Integrated Lessons in the Fifth Grade Language Arts Class, Emily Lorraine Hoch
Creation, Negotiation, Equality: Empowering Young Women Through Dance Improvisation, Marlene Catherine Strang
Capstones/Scholarly Projects from 2016
Dance as an Interdisciplinary Tool in Drama Class: Learning Acting Skills Through Dance Movement Experiences, Amandie Jolene Campbell
Understanding Poetry: Integrating Creative Movement and Dance to Enhance the Learning Process for Middle and High School Students, Toni C. Duncan
Connection Between Involvement in Dance and Building Character: An Analysis of Student Behavior, Megan L. Hoggarth
Creative Movement and Dance Integration: Their Connection to Learning Third Grade Math Concepts, LaShandria L. Redman
Non-Musical Choreographic Inspirations: Choreographic Curriculum Challenges with High School Students, Leslie Kaye Williams
Theses from 2015
Mother Courage and Her Children: An Exploration of the Power of Gestus and New War Imagery In An Already Highly Active Visual World, Michael J. Despars
Preschool Creative Drama: A Curriculum and Its Effects on Learning, Erin Kelli Lindberg
Theses from 2014
You're a good man, Charlie Brown: An analysis of compassion, friendship, and overcoming obstacles, Jessamyn L. Miller
Theses from 2013
A two hundred year old lesson in bullying: building community by producing Honk! Jr., a musical based on The Ugly Duckling, Heidi Louise Jensen
Theses from 2012
Reviresco rainbow interactive theatre model: a study combining theatre of the oppressed and theatre in education for the development of a new model for social literacy, Dustin M. Carlson
Process of keeping creative expression and artistic freedom unencumbered and uncensored: a study of student actors in the musical [title of show], Mathew B. Hagmeier
Ugliness of gorgeousness: an exploration of the obsession of beauty in Neil LaBute's "Reasons to be Pretty", Asedo Wilson
Theses from 2010
Art out of tragedy - how the children of Terezin coped with crisis through art, James A. Kaiser