Abstract
In 2006, the Taiwanese government promoted new approaches to early childhood teaching and learning, quality of provision and kindergarten teachers' professional development. The study discussed in this chapter sought to develop and improve Taiwanese kindergarten teachers' dance teaching through the development of a curriculum that integrated dance with visual arts. The researchers tested concepts and ideas from Davies's (2003) 'movement framework', Matthews' (2003) theory of 'figurative representation' and 'action representation' and Zelazo and Lourenco's (2003) 'transfiguration' model. The project outcomes showed that generalist teachers can use drawing and painting to motivate children to create dance, and remember and express dance learning. The results confirmed that most young children are able to dance and draw in response to visual arts and local cultural themes, and that dance experiences and observations of paintings increase their awareness of shape and stimulate the development of figurative expression. © 2012 selection and editorial material, Theodora Papatheodorou.