Revisiting McCutchen’s Teaching Dance as Art in Education: Bridging Embodied Learning and Digital Archives

Rivaldi Indra Hapidzin; Juju Masunah; Trianti Nugraheni; Ayo Sunaryo

doi:10.58421/gehu.v5i4.1395

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v5i4.1395

Authors

Rivaldi Indra Hapidzin Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4509-5229
Juju Masunah Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Trianti Nugraheni Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8286-8895
Ayo Sunaryo Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Keywords:

Critical book review, Dance education, Digital archives, Embodied learning, Pedagogy

Abstract

This article critically reviews Brenda Pugh McCutchen’s Teaching Dance as Art in Education (2006) to recontextualize its pedagogical framework within discussions of embodied learning, ethnopedagogy, and digital archives. Using a qualitative critical book review approach, the study examines the book’s four cornerstones: Dancing and Performing; Creating and Composing; Knowing History, Culture, and Context; and Analyzing and Critiquing. The review finds that McCutchen’s framework remains pedagogically relevant because it integrates embodied practice, creativity, cultural understanding, and critical reflection. However, it also reveals limitations, particularly its Euro-American orientation, limited ethnopedagogical perspective, and lack of attention to digital technologies. To address these gaps, the article proposes a conceptual extension that links embodied learning with digital archives as complementary tools for documentation, preservation, accessibility, and cultural transmission. While digital archives cannot replace lived bodily experience, their integration with McCutchen’s framework may strengthen dance education by supporting preservation and critical engagement with dance knowledge. As a conceptual study based on a single primary text and selected literature, this review does not include empirical data or practical implementation. Nevertheless, it suggests that combining embodied learning and digital archives offers a valuable direction for dance education in the digital era.

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