Dance socio-emotional impact in promoting inclusion

Abstract

Dance has benefits across all ages, ethnic and socioeconomic groups, cultures, and different parts of the world. Research and practice have shown that dance experiences can enhance social-emotional development, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are not well understood. The aim of this study is to analyse the social impact of dance in promoting children's inclusion through creative activities. A total of 202 articles on the theoretical and empirical literature on dance were analysed through a systematic review of Web of Science (110), Scopus (38), ERIC (32) and Dialnet (22). Systematic review results suggest that the evidence is strongest for longitudinal intervention studies linking dance with long-term benefits and outcomes. Furthermore, although sample sizes vary, they are often insufficient to measure differences between groups. Findings suggest that regular dance practice can have an enormous impact on students' holistic development as well as their perceptions of health-related quality of life.