Moving toward Engagement: Teaching Collaborative Dance and Science Classes to First Year College Students

This article describes teaching science and dance together as part of a university first-year experience. This was done to address educational challenges including engagement and retention of diverse students, development of scientific literacy, and development of creative artistic expression. We describe team teaching “the Art and Science of Dance,” where students learn about asking and answering questions through multiple lenses, learn how to do science, and learn how to dance. We assessed student experiences and found that the course challenges all students, but provides a structure where they are able to actively participate in the generation of scientific knowledge and art by the end of their first semester at college. Therefore, we advocate teaching challenging, multidisciplinary courses to first-year students. Dance collaborations seem to be an especially effective way to do this.