Dancing in cadence: Access to the art form of dance for United States Marines and their families

The hypothesis of this thesis is that individuals who serve in the United States Marine Corps and their families have limited access to dance on Marine Corps bases. Research began with an examination of arts policy set for Marine Corps Community Services by Headquarters Marine Corps, and the arts and physical education standards determined by the Department of Defense Education Activity. A site-specific study was conducted at Camp Lejeune, and within the surrounding city of Jacksonville, North Carolina, to provide a true-to-life perspective of how policy and standards set by the Marine Corps and government directly affect this unique population. This thesis found that the Marine Corps and the Department of Defense Education Activity have yet to systemize the presentation of dance and dance education in order to ensure accessibility. Jacksonville and the Marine Corps community, however, have done an exceptional job at filling the void with very limited resources.