Educational Purpose of Dance Therapy:

• Promote social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development
• Improve mental health through a healthy body
• Increase self-discipline, cooperation, and confidence
• Develop cultural understanding

Activities of Dance Therapy:

• This is used for self-expression, communication, and group interaction
• The teacher needs an understanding of (not a mastery in) energy, weight, time, tension, space, and flow
• Children will need an open area to dance in as well as comfortable clothes to move around in. To accommodate this in the classroom, a limited number of children can dance while others engage in a related activity
• Ask “what” questions that evoke the children interpretation

Assessment/Accommodations:

• Muscle tension and rigid movements can be a sign of stress and emotional triggers by physically getting these out it will help the mental state
• Teachers can grade how this technique is working by student’s cooperation and how the class dynamics are before and after

Related Articles:

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Art Therapy Working With Emotional Disabilities