Dance Impact on Children’s Development

Introduction

“If we want our children to move mountains, we first have to let them out of their chairs” (Sowder, 2014). Dance is a performing art that impacts the health of the whole child. It is an art form in which one communicates and expresses emotions through body movement. Dance engages the mind, along with the physical elements of a person. Since most development occurs in children in their younger years, dance at a young age can strongly influence a child’s overall development. There is a direct correlation between dance and physical development including balance, strength and flexibility. Children that work together in a dance setting not only benefit from physical development but also engage in social interaction which enhances emotional development. The movements in dance stimulate the brain’s development of cognitive skills such as long-term memory and spatial recognition. This research paper will discuss dance, a powerful form of art, and how it contributes to children’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development.

The Effects of Dance on Children’s Development

“Dance is a performing art that uses the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and within a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the movement itself” (Mackrell, 2019). Dancing does not always have to be done in a performance setting as it can be done in any setting on being social and another being for ceremonial reasons. Dance is part of multiple cultures around the world with many different styles performed and taught to children and adults of all ages. Styles such as Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Salsa, Tango, Latin Samba, Step Dance are only some of the many styles of dance that are practiced and performed throughout the world.

“Dance is an ancient human practice which might have begun as an instinctive response to such naturally occurring cycles as night and day and the beat of the human heart” (Wyman et al., 2012). It came from the same urges that developed music and often dance is not always thought to be accompanied by music there is still questions on which one came first (Wyman et al., 2012). There has always been a presence of dance or organized movement since the time that settlers arrived in Canada. Dance was a form of human cultural expression (Wyman et al., 2012). “Long before the arrival of transatlantic explorers, dance was an important part of the ritual, religious and social lives of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples” (Wyman et al., 2012). Dance has been around for centuries as a means of communication and rituals. Dance continues to grow today with new emerging styles and is beginning to be more recognized around the world.

“Dancing, in any form, brings complete and complex gains to children, it is an ideal physical activity for the harmonious and correct physical development” (Cosma et al., 2016). Dance has a large impact on children’s physical development as it burns calories, strengthens muscles, improves balance, increases flexibility while at the same time gives the heart an excellent workout (Becker, 2013). People may think that dance is just a performing art but it is much more than that, as it uses a multitude of muscles in the body at the same time. A range of motion, coordination and endurance are needed when dancing and involves more of these principles than most other physical activities (Becker, 2013). It is with the authors experience as a dancer and teacher, that dance is a physical activity that allows children to use muscles that they wouldn’t necessarily be engaging in other sports or activities. Dance is a way for children to be active with the benefit of expressing themselves, improving their skills, while having fun.

Experiments have been conducted comparing children in dance programing and children involved in other physical activities. Results have proved that preschool children involved in structured movement program such as dance were engaged in heathier physical activity behaviours than those children engaged in physical activity on the playground (Palmer et al., 2017). An experiment was conducted comparing two groups of children between the ages of 6 and 7, one being the group in the aerobatic dance program while the other group followed the school’s physical education program. An improvement in children’s strength/endurance, flexibility of back and hip muscles, as well as upper body strength were findings that were made in the children who were involved in an aerobatic dance intervention program (Marvridis et al., 2015).

The following research indicates that dance programing has a positive impact on young children’s bodies. It shows that dance increases strength and endurance in ways that a regular physical education program is not capable of doing. Dance uses the entire body while other physical activities may only engage certain muscles and parts of the body. Dance has been proven to have positive effects on children’s physical development. Instilling physical activity in children at a young age will help in their overall health and dance is a wonderful way to accomplish this goal.

Dance benefits children’s psychomotor behavior, especially among children in elementary, where rhythmic games and themes can be applied in an easy manner (Cosma et al., 2016). With introducing more dance in schools it will help in meeting the physical education goals needed for a children’s overall growth and development. It is not only a fun activity for young children to get involved in but is also an activity that uses a multitude of the bodies muscles that has a positive effect on a child’s physical development.

The body and mind are connected in vital ways, dance not only exercises the body but also the brain resulting in improved cognitive development (Becker, 2018). In the younger years is where the most development occurs making it crucial to incorporate dance and movement. When children learn how to dance it enables them to develop knowledge and understanding about the world. “Learning language and learning dance are not separate threads but are woven together and incorporated into a fabric of communication and understanding” (National Dance Education Organization, 2019).

Studies have shown that cognitively engaging or challenging physical activity such as dance helps to activate the prefrontal cortex impacting executive functions (Kulinna et al., 2018). According to, Daychak, a child’s involvement in dance continually engages certain parts of their brain such as regions that control mental skills, long term memory, and spatial recognition (Performing Dance Arts, n.d). Long term memory is engaged when children learn dance choreography because from week to week they must remember a multitude of steps.

In a formal dance program, children are involved in choreographed dances. In these choreographed dances children form several line formations that need a certain amount of space between each other depending on the formation. This helps children understand spatial recognition and encourages them to use their peripheral vision. In some cases, children must remember several different dances such as a tap, jazz, and ballet dance. The children’s mental strength is improved as they are developing memory skills while learning these dances.

According to Kulinna, children who were involved in an aerobic dance program compared to those in a regular physical education class showed improvements in concentration performance and processing speed in a selective attention test (Kulinna et al., 2018). This study indicates that the brain is engaged more while dancing compared to that of other physical activities that are done in physical education classes. More parts of the body are moving while dancing resulting in the brain working harder ultimately improving the concentration level of the children.

Children can express their ideas, engage in the thinking process and solve problems kinesthetically in lessons where dance and movement are incorporated (Becker, 2018). As many cognitive theorists’ have discovered, children learn through doing and through experiences. One of Howard Garner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences is Bodily-Kinesthetic. People who are these types of learners process learning through movement. Dance is a way for children who are bodily-kinesthetic learners to understand certain concepts because they are using their entire bodies. Implementing more dance in the school systems will improve children’s developmental skills including creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.

Throughout the creative process of dance, children use their imagination, collaborate with others in solving problems and discover solutions to challenges (Becker, 2018). According to the author, dance instills mathematical skills such as counting, and rhythmic recognition, along with literacy in ways of telling a story with body movements. Children involved in dance programing from a young age are always learning and working toward goals, new steps and dances are taught enabling children to adapt to new things in a short amount of time.

As a performing art, dance enables people to express themselves in a means where they otherwise may not have had the opportunity. Expression of one’s emotions and feelings can be transmitted through the movement of dance. Stories are created through the movements and steps in a dance that are viewed for interpretation by the audience. Children especially younger have a harder time using their words to express their emotions. Dance is a way where children can express these emotions in a safe and effective way. It is in the authors experience that dance allows children to gain confidence in themselves and sometimes a child who may have difficulty expressing themselves outside of the dance class, can do so in that environment.

Psychological health and maturity is brought out in children when they are involved in dance (National Dance Education Organization, 2019). According to, National Dance Education Organization, dance or movement within a class allows a child to gain awareness and appreciation of oneself and others while also offering an outlet for physical release (National Dance Education Organization). An emotional maturity develops in children who attend structured dance classes. Children are able to learn the responsibilities of being on time, working within a group, and having goals in which they strive to meet. All the items listed above contribute to the emotional development of children.

The final impact of dance when it comes to the development of a child is the social development. Social skills and development are a key aspect in a child’s development with this being said, dance provides an environment where children interact with one another. In one study it reported that in a dancing classroom there was a significant impact on the children’s social development values. These values included: feeling more supported by teachers and administrators, feeling more respected among peers, and feeling more optimistic about life in school. (Nelson et al., 2011)

“Dance fosters social encounter, interaction, and cooperation” (National Dance Education Organization, 2019). In a dance class children learn to communicate ideas to others through the movement of their bodies and quickly learn to work within a group. Children work together as a team to create and perform dance routines that tell a story. At a young age children understand the importance of team work and how working together as a team will yield better results. The group skills that children encounter when in a dance class carries with them through life. These social interactions that occur in dance classes build self confidence in children as they are able to connect with people who have a similar passion. The author has had similar experiences with dance as she made lifelong friends and experiences that pushed her outside of her comfort zone enabling a greater feeling of self-confidence. The author believes that the social interactions made within a dance classroom has a positive impact on children as they grow older.

The majority of children’s development occurs in the younger years. It has been proven that more dance programing is needed in both elementary schools and early childhood education centres. Improvements in physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development have all been shown in studies with children of younger ages. Adding dance and movement programing in early childhood education programs will excite the children as it is a fun activity where they can express themselves. Dance gets children out of their seats and on to their feet. It is a way for children to socialize with each other, receive physical activity, express themselves, and stimulates the mind. Educators can incorporate dance in many ways in their program planning. Educators do not need to be dance teachers to incorporate dance in the classroom, there are different activities that can be found online and elsewhere.

“Besides the fact that dancing is one of the major forms of art, dancing is a physical, physiological and psychological activity that can provide physiological and psychological benefits like muscular flexibility, aerobic capacity, self-esteem and motivation” (Cosma et al., 2016). Throughout this essay it has been show the multiple ways in which dance has a positive impact on children’s development. Most people think of the physical aspect that dance has on a child’s development but this is certainly not the only positive impact that dance has as it has been proven that other results in development occur. Positive physical, social, emotional and cognitive development have been linked to dance. Children who are involved in dance whether that be in an organized class or as a part of the school programing all have shown positive results in the following areas compared to children not involved in the activity.

Results have shown that dance engages all aspects of the body and mind. Dance class not only teaches children steps but also life lessons and skills that can be carried throughout the rest of their lives. Dance isn’t just a way for children to get some exercise as that is a very important aspect it is a way for children to express themselves, work with others, and gain life skills.