Integrating dance and drawing in the kindergarten curriculum in Taiwan

This paper and the images therein report on an action research that investigated and developed strategies for teacher training in Taiwan. The aim was to help generalist teachers to develop young children's abilities to make, perform and appreciate dance. The research used Mollie Davies' Movement Framework (DMF) as a basis for exploring ways in which drawing and painting can be used to motivate kindergarten children to dance and help them to reflect upon it. DMF prioritizes body, space, dynamics and relationships (i.e. what the body does, where it moves, how it moves and with whom). The research was also informed by John Matthews' theory of figurative representation and action representation (2003) and his explanation of how young children's drawings and paintings are action based and influenced by their previous experiences of movement.