By Masha Bandouil

I am a senior Dance and Biology double major at Loyola University of Chicago, currently researching how dance can make science more accessible to the general public. Over the last year, I produced three dance films that translate educational text from the Sarnoff Center website into the language of movement. The films illustrate and explain the principles of genetics, as well as genetic diseases and hereditary cancers that disproportionately affect the Jewish community. While there is a voice-over for the films, I am interested in my choreography as the principle form of communication.

Rooted in human instinct, the body houses knowledge that is just as important to access as the knowledge associated with the mind. Ranging from gestures to dance steps, I believe movement can provide a universal language through which scientists can share their findings with non-scientific audiences despite barriers of language, learning style, education level, or access to specialized knowledge.

The first film is an overview of the basics of genetics and can be found in the Genetics 101 tab.

The second film explains genetic diseases and can be found in the Jewish Genetic Disorders tab.

The third film explains hereditary cancers and can be found in the Hereditary Cancer Overview tab.

Check out the films and see if the dance imagery helps you better visualize and understand the scientific concepts! Fill out the survey that accompanies the films and let me know your thoughts - I would love to hear what you think!