Abstract

Two studies evaluate the effects of participating in dance, as a form of visceral, engaged learning, on conceptions of the “American Idea” and on voting behavior. Dance for Walt Whitman by Helen Tamiris was recreated on a company of 22 dancers, who, in Study 1, read articles relating to the American Idea and kept guided journals. Participants were very positive, indicating that the experience had given them a much better understanding of the American Idea and their roles as citizens, as well as increasing their motivation to actively participate in civic life. Study 2 complemented this finding by assessing a behavioral measure of civic engagement—voting—and by including respondents who did not perform in Whitman. While small sample sizes prevented the effects from reaching statistical significance, the results were generally positive: those who participated in the performance or viewed it were more likely to have voted than those who were not connected to the performance. In addition, there was suggestive evidence that dance participants who did not vote in earlier elections, despite being eligible, were more likely to vote in the most recent elections that were those who were not involved in the dance. Taken together, these 2 studies support the theory of dance as a powerful form of engaged learning that can contribute to civic involvement and understanding of the “American Idea.”