The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of creative dance to the cognitive and physical development program for children by analyzing the effect of participating in an 8-week creative dance program on the development of emotiona...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of creative dance to the cognitive and physical development program for children by analyzing the effect of participating in an 8-week creative dance program on the development of emotional quotient(EQ), creativity, and motor abilities, including balance, flexibility, and coordination. One hundred and fourteen children attending at a kindergarten participated in the experiment as subjects. They were assigned into one of three groups: teacher-directed, teacher-oriented, and control. Subjects in the teacher-directed group participated in an 8-week creative dance program under the direction of teacher, where as those in the teacher-oriented group participated in the same program with the guidance of teacher. Those in the control group did not experience creative dance, but participated in another physical activity programs.
Prior to and after the 8-week program, cognitive abilities including EQ and creativity, and motor abilities, including balance, flexibility, and coordination, were measured from all subjects. Measured variables were analyzed by three-way ANOVA(3 groups x 2 gender x 2 test sessions) with repeated measures on the last factor.
Analysis of the EQ revealed that the teacher-directed and the teacher-oriented groups showed a significant improvement in the EQ score after participating in the 8-week creative dance program, while the control group did not show changes in the EQ between test sessions. Among the components of the EQ, emotional perception, and emotional acceptance and adaptability improved significantly in all groups after the 8-week program, but the amount of improvement was highest in the teacher-oriented group. After participating in the 8-week program, emotional control and emotional expression improved only in the teacher-oriented group, whereas positive tendency improved in both the teacher-oriented and the teacher-directed groups.
Analysis of the creativity showed significant improvement in the creativity index in all groups after the 8-week program, but the amount of improvement was highest in the teacher-oriented group. Among the components of the creativity, abstractness, precision, and resistance to impatient finish improved the most in the teacher-oriented group. However, the effect of participating in the creative dance program was not found in fluency and originality.
In terms of motor ability, the creative dance program was shown to have different effect on flexibility, balance, and coordination. The flexibility was found to improve in all groups after the 8-week program, but the amount of improvement was highest in the teacher-oriented group. However, the effect of participating in the creative dance on balance differed from the test item. The dynamic balance ability measured by the straight-walking test was found to improve in all groups after the 8-week program, and the amount of improvement was highest in the teacher-oriented group. The static balance ability measured by the foot and toe balance and closed eyes foot balance, however, was not affected by the participation in the creative dance. The creative dance program neither had an effect on the development of coordination.
Taken together, these results suggest that participating in the creative dance can contribute to the cognitive and physical development of children, and its effect is maximized when the program induces an active and voluntary physical expressions of children.