Dance research as an academic discipline is relatively new.
In 1967, the first volume of the CORD Dance Research Annual wrote: "One of the most serious problems in dance research is found in the fact that the literati in the field are not yet the university people".
[2] In addition to research concerned with technical or aesthetic aspects of dance, research in the field of dance also often includes connections to scholarly disciplines that place dance in context, including social and literary history, philosophy, anthropology, and medical science.
Its aims are the enhancement of performance, the reduction of injury, and the improvement of well-being and health.
While the dance sciences span a wide range of domains within which researchers and practitioners have a variety of backgrounds, a unifying interest of those studying and practicing dance science is promoting health, well-being, and optimum performance in dancers.