Aspects of the Dancer's Role in the Art of Dance

Despite the fact that there is an obvious relationship between the dance and the dancer in the production of a known work, little of this relationship has been explored in the literaturel or made clear in terms of what is necessary or desirable-from the aesthetic point of view. The purpose of this article, therefore, is an attempt to outline and articulate what is involved not only if the dance is to be efficaciously presented, but also if the dancer is to be educated as a performer. The strategy will be to discuss the following interconnected themes: the dance and the dancer; the dancer as agent; the dancer as a guardian of aesthetic standards; the dancer as creator and innovator; and the dancer as the embodiment of expressive form.