Effects of creative dance on proprioception, rhythm and balance of preschool children

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of creative dance on proprioception, rhythm and static balance in preschool children. The treatment group consisted of 32 preschool children which took part in a creative dance programme that lasted 2 months (twice a week), while the control group (30 preschool children) participated in an unstructured free-play setting. Prior to and after the intervention, children were assessed for proprioception (Active-Reproduction Test), rhythm (K-Rhythm Test) and balancing on one foot. The results showed that the treatment group performed significantly better on the proprioception and rhythm post-test measures compared to the control group. No significant differences were found for static balance. It may be concluded that creative dance can positively affect proprioception and rhythmic synchronization in preschool children. Considering the importance of these factors for children’s motor development, it is suggested that creative dance should be included in early childhood curricula.

KEYWORDS:

• Kinesthesis
• sensorimotor synchronization
• dancing
• preschool

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dimitris Chatzopoulos is Assistant Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Physical Education and Sport Science. Research interests: Sport didactic, teacher education, teaching methods and evaluation. E-mail: [email protected].

Georgios Doganis is Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Physical Education and Sport Science. Research focus: Teacher education, sport psychology, athletic behaviour of young children. E-mail: [email protected].

Iraklis Kollias is Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Physical Education and Sport Science. Research focus: Sport Biomechanics, assessment of sports performance, gait analysis. E-mail: [email protected].

ORCID

Dimitris Chatzopoulos http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5069-2613