Kulture Break

Now, dancing in front of your mirror or doing a little two-step in the hallway can truly improve a mood. However, aside from the little jig we allow ourselves to indulge in every now and again, is dance and getting groovy as equally as important as learning how to read and write?

When students are faced with selecting their options for classes in later education, the electives generally encompass the arts. The primary or compulsory subjects are generally filled with math and English.

This is a very broad generalisation, but when we’re looking at applicable skills, crucial skills, which will further our abilities to adapt and function in the working world, dance isn’t usually top of the list. However, when we think of innovation and problem solving do we not think of creativity?

 

“CREATIVITY IS AS IMPORTANT AS LITERACY”

Sir Ken Robinson

 

WHY WE STUDY DANCE?

The trigger effect of the arts of academic and personal well-being

There’s no denying that playing some music, shuffling your feet and swinging your hips can feel really really good. There’s something about allowing the body to move and be free that releases an influx of endorphins and infectious smiles. If you don’t believe us, flip some pancakes this weekend to some of your favourite tunes, you can thank us later.

However, if you don’t want to our word for it, go and check out the results from latest issue of Journal of Educational Psychology ¹, Where a comprehensive study titled The Role of Arts Participation in Students’ Academic and Non-Academic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of School, Home and Community Factors, examined 645 primary and secondary students students from 15 different schools across Australia over 2 years. Their findings? Students who participated in dance or any form of the arts showed more positive personal and academic outcomes.

Some of the benefits, among academic and personal, were:

• Higher levels of motivation
• Completion of work/homework
• Higher self-esteem
• Sense of meaning/purpose
• Improved educational aspirations

 

“THE ARTS SHOULD BE CENTRAL TO SCHOOLING AND NOT LEFT ON THE FRINGES.”

Professor Michael Anderson

 

THE PHYSICAL BENEFITS

One of the biggest benefits of dance is that it tends to use the whole body. When you’re dancing it’s a rarity that parts of your body are stagnant for anything longer than few seconds. So when you’re Googling best “whole body workout” don’t be surprised if dance makes the list.

Obviously, the intensity will vary and depending on what it is you’re wanting to explore or try the scale of calories burnt is hard to measure. However, if you’ve ever been to a wedding and you haven’t had to have a water break, well you’re obviously sitting on the sidelines. Dancing can be exhausting and a whole lot of fun at the same time.

The best part of incorporating dance into the routine of life is it improves expressive nature, social connection and self-esteem. It can be a moment in your week that you allow yourself to feel your body in a new and exciting way, which incorporates emotive and creative response.

Overall, dance has a lot of benefits and the best part is that it includes community at the centre of it. Our main focus at Kulture Break is to make sure every student has a strong sense of belonging. Not only to the community, but to themselves. We aim to empower young people to feel connected to their own abilities and potential, encouraging them to be the best version of themselves as often as possible.

As we often say:

You don’t become somebody,
you are somebody.

 

1. Martin, A. J., Mansour, M., Anderson, M., Gibson, R., Liem, G. A. D., & Sudmalis, D. (2013). The role of arts participation in students’ academic and nonacademic outcomes: A longitudinal study of school, home, and community factors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 709–727. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032795