Teacher Education and Embodiment

Drawing upon scholarly work in multicultural teacher§education, contemporary social theory and somatics§studies about the body, culture, and knowledge, and§the Asian theory and practice of self-cultivation,§this study explores the use of ethnic movement§practices as a tool to enhance teachers §understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity.§Three in-service teachers journeys of participating§in five culturally different movement forms: African§American, Caribbean and Korean dances, Chinese tai§chi chuan, and Indian yoga were the center of§inquiry. The findings indicate that cross-cultural§movement practices can be an effective tool to break§down barriers among individuals and open a door of§discussions on cultural perceptions and beliefs;§engage individuals in movement experiences that§involve sensory engagement; provide individuals with§an opportunity of experiencing the rediscovery of§body-mind unity; enhance individuals understanding of§the dialectical relationship between self and§culture; and cultivate a multicultural self so that§individuals not only intellectually understand§cultural diversity but also physically appreciate§being in a culturally different setting.