JHASS
When Injury Reveals Pedagogical Gaps: Rethinking Aesthetic Awareness and Teaching Strategies in Chinese Dance Education
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Abstract
This study explores the phenomenon of spinal cord injuries caused by back bends and other movements in Chinese children’s dance training through a literature review, and uses this as a starting point to reveal deeper issues of teaching strategies and aesthetic concepts in dance education. The study found that Chinese dance emphasizes extreme flexibility, a traditional aesthetic orientation that has been biased and further amplified in market-driven after-school training institutions, resulting in child dancers being exposed to an increasing risk of physical injury. Inadequate training methods, under-qualified teachers, and a lack of safety standards are important factors that increase the risk. However, such injuries are not just a matter of technique, but also reflect an over-reliance on technique and a neglect of bodily perception and aesthetic experience in the logic of teaching. This study appeals for a reflection and reorganization of current dance teaching strategies. This includes the development of progressive training methods that are consistent with children’s physical and mental development. Shifting from technique-oriented teaching to experience and aesthetics-oriented teaching concepts, and introducing dance science knowledge into teacher training. Only in this way can dance education return to its aesthetic nature and promote the long-term healthy development of the field while safeguarding children’s health.
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How to cite this paper
When Injury Reveals Pedagogical Gaps: Rethinking Aesthetic Awareness and Teaching Strategies in Chinese Dance Education
How to cite this paper: Junjun Liu, Leng Poh Gee. (2025) When Injury Reveals Pedagogical Gaps: Rethinking Aesthetic Awareness and Teaching Strategies in Chinese Dance Education. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 9(6), 1142-1148.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.06.016
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