A string band strikes up a rhythmic tune and a circle of dancers, one hundred or more, falls into the beat together. “All join hands and circle to the left,” directs the caller, beginning an old time square dance each Friday and Saturday night in several communities across Southwest Virginia. Old time square dancing is one of the two oldest regional forms of dance which continue to change through community participation. The other form is a dance of “rhythm-making with the feet” (Hall 1984–85,201), a solo dance known variously as clogging, flatfooting, or buck dancing. Old time square dancing typically begins with one large circle and with patterns for the whole group; proceeds to a middle section of one or more patterns for two couples, who form the “square;” and ends with one large circle or patterns for the whole group. Dancers use the term “old time square dance” to differentiate this community-based form from western club square dancing, which was popularized mid-century and is taught, with classes of increasing levels of difficulty, through a national organization. Both forms of old time dancing have evolved since the eighteenth century through the interaction of European-Americans, African-Americans, and Native Americans, and are performed to music of the old-time, bluegrass, country, or country-rock variety, depending upon the community.

Recent scientific research provides evidence to suggest that it is more than coincidental that principles of training are held in common by Tai Chi, Sweigard's Ideokinesis, and Bartenieff's Fundamentals. The reason that principles of training for the neuromuscular facilitation of human movement can be found to cross diverse methods and forms of training is, quite simply, that they work. This statement comes as no surprise to individuals who have utilized these principles of training. However, only recently has objective scientific evidence been published that suggests the potential efficacy of this kind of training. Beyond comparing principles of training and current scientific research, the purpose of this paper is to build a testable hypothesis that can provide a focus in dance science for the beginnings of experimentation in neuromuscular facilitation training.

In a world where symbolic discourse may be the hallmark of a dominant species, certain human beings stand out for their social isolation. Six nonverbal children, ages six to nine, with dual impairments of vision and hearing, formed one such cluster of humanity within a residential educational setting. This article reports on some features of a study that analyzes the influence of an intensive dance program (Dance) on social and task engagement in these children (Bond 1991). A multi-faceted inquiry was undertaken that combined a two-group experimental design with participant observation and cumulative theorizing. In this “art-science duet” (Bond 1987), qualitative procedures were adopted to interpret patterns of engagement uncovered through quantitative analysis. Results clearly show that Dance was an effective mode of expression, communication and learning for the six children.