The Go Dance Research project, commissioned by East Youth Dance
- a consortium of dance organisations and providers, enrolled 250
children aged 10-12 years to participate in a 12 week dance programme to
examine how dance might positively impact the lives of boys and girls
in pursuing healthy lives.
The findings indicated that boys perceptions of pressure and tension as
an indicator of intrinsic motivation reduced as a result, with male
participants and their school teachers relating their focus in other
curricular subjects to their participation in these workshops.
Additional results from this study also indicate that participating in a
dance project during school time can inspire positive behaviour change
in terms of physical activity levels and outside of the school
structure.
Principal investigator, Elsa Urmston, joined UCS as a lecturer in Dance
in 2011 and continues to undertake research projects and teaching work
nationally and internationally as part of her academic profile.
Elsa Urmston, Principal Lecturer said:
“The Go Dance research has come at a significant time as it allows us to
demonstrate the significance of dance participation amongst hard to
reach groups. This creative dance project has shown that exposure to
dance projects and opportunities to perform dance has the potential to
change people's attitudes and behaviours about dance and exercise for
health. Hopefully that means greater investment in dance for health
projects in the future.”
The Go Dance study has been undertaken as part of a region-wide project
devised for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad which feature programmes
and projects that form the largest cultural celebration in the history
of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
The project itself aims to inspire young people to participate in dance
activity and provide the opportunities in deprived areas and has since
been awarded a Cultural Olympiad InspireMark and work continues in the
participating schools and local communities.
Jane Langston, East Youth Dance Coordinator, said: “This is a fantastic
piece of research highlighting the positive impact dance can have on
young people’s lives.”
The full report is available for download below.