Karl Schaffer is a math professor in California. Erik Stern teaches dance in Utah. Together, they have created a program to teach math concepts using the physical experience of dance. The two met as performers in a dance troupe.

'The two dancers immediately hit it off. “We found we shared a similar sense of humor and an interest in bringing philosophical concepts into dance,” says Schaffer. After choreographing and performing together for three years, they began creating work that explored the connections between math and dance. “Choreography is a way to identify, define and change a pattern in time and space. That’s a math problem,” explains Stern.

'In 1990, the two created a performance piece for kids made up of a series of short acts that explored different mathematical ideas and included plenty of audience interaction. The performances were popular and before long the duo was touring schools and other venues around the country as the Dr. Schaffer and Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble.'

They've also written a book called 'Math Dance'. Some university professors are using the book to teach future school teachers innovative ways to convey math concepts. One professor reports that her college students, in learning this technique for younger kids, are themselves getting a more solid grasp of concepts they'd never fully owned before.

From '1+1=Pas de Deux' by Lisa Traiger
in the online newsletter 'DanceTeacher'
http://www.dance-teacher.com/content/1-1-pas-de-deux