Breath-Intentionality in rhythm pedagogy: a cross-cultural framework bridging western embodiment theories and Chinese aesthetics

This study examines the dominance of sensorimotor approaches in Western kinesthetic rhythm pedagogy, particularly those influenced by Dalcroze’s rhythmic gymnastics and embodied musical cognition. While existing theories of rhythm pedagogy have advanced understandings of motor learning, they often adopt a body-centric orientation that prioritizes visible movement as the primary pathway for rhythmic cognition. Such emphasis may limit engagement with alternative cultural conceptions of rhythm. In response, this study proposes the Breath-Intentionality Model as a cross-cultural theoretical framework grounded in key concepts from Chinese musical aesthetics, including qi (vital energy), yijing (poetic atmosphere), and xu-shi (emptiness and fullness). Rather than treating rhythm solely as temporal organization, the model re-examines it as a culturally situated and breath-informed practice that integrates bodily movement, intentionality, and aesthetic imagination. Through a concept-driven synthesis of literature, the study brings Western embodied pedagogy into dialogue with Chinese aesthetic thought and outlines four pedagogical dimensions for potential classroom application. The analysis suggests that local aesthetic traditions may offer alternative perspectives for understanding rhythmic embodiment and provides a theoretical basis for further intercultural reflection in music education.