Dance Time Implementation of an After-school Dance Program as a Way to Improve Body Image in School-aged Children

1
Dance TimeImplementation of an After-school
Dance Program as a Way to Improve Body Image in
School-aged Children

• Sara Jean Rubinstein
• Project Mentor Dr. Deborah ODonnell, PhD
• April 28, 2008

2
Overview

• Introduction
• Dance Movement Therapy
• Previous Research
• Method
• Participants
• Materials
• Procedure
• Results
• Discussion
• Limitations
• Implications

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Introduction Dance Movement Therapy

• The psychotherapeutic use of movement as a
  process which furthers the physical and psychic
  integration of an individual (Bernstein, 1979
  as cited in Stanton-Jones, 1992, pp. 1).
• Developed in 1940s
• Leading Pioneers
• Marian Chace
• Mary Whitehouse
• Alma Hawkins

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Introduction Elements of DMT

• Body Action
• Symbolism
• Movement Metaphor/Authentic Movement
• Therapeutic Movement Relationship
• Group Rhythmic Movement Relationship

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Introduction DMT with Adults

• Fibromyalgia
• (Bojner-Horwitz, Theorell, Anderburg, 2003)
• Anxiety/Test anxiety
• (Erwin-Grabner et al., 1996 Lesté, 1990)
• Schizophrenia
• (Ellis, 2001)

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Introduction DMT with Children

• Autism
• (Erfer, 1995 Parteli, 1995)
• Hypoactive children
• (Caf, Kroflic, Tancig, 1997)
• Psychiatric Populations
• (Elliot, 1998 Erfer Ziv, 2006)
• At-risk youth
• (Ierardi, Bottos, OBrien, 2007 Kierr, 2007
  Koshland Whittaker, 2004)

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Introduction DMT with Eating Disorders

• DMT can correct body image errors through the use
  of movement (Pylvänäïnen, 2003).
• Used with adults and adolescents
• (Krantz, 1999)
• Different techniques for different disorders
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Anorexia Nervosa

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Introduction Objective of Study

• Objective To design and implement an
  after-school dance program to improve body image
  in children
• Hypothesis Children who participate in DMT-based
  activities as part of an after-school dance
  program would experience an improvement in body
  image.

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Method Participants

• 7 girls, 1 boy
• All enrolled in an after-school care program
• Mean age 8.17 years
• 7 Black participants, 1 White participant

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Method Materials

• Journals
• Interviews
• Feedback Questions
• Feeling Questions
• Body Image Questions
• Video-tape coding
• Confidence
• Willingness to Participate
• Body Use
• Emotion

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Method Procedure

• 5 sessions lasting 30 to 40 minutes each
• Took place in gymnasium
• Session Themes
• 1. Moving to the Music
• 2. Recap session
• 3. Making Pictures
• 4. Activities and Feelings
• 5. Telling Stories

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Results

• Findings
• Decrease in shyness
• Increase in confidence
• Maintenance of or increase in positive body
  feelings
• Focus on body function rather than appearance
• Change in movement behavior

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Discussion

• Results suggest that body image increased as a
  result of the dance activity.
• All participants provided positive feedback and
  enjoyed the sessions

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Discussion Limitations

• Participation limitations
• No control for outside experiences
• Journal reflections completed unsupervised
• Not true DMT

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Discussion Implications

• Further study on the use of DMT with school-aged
  populations and body image distortions
• Design and implementation of DMT programs in
  school systems that can run year-round
• Implementation of a system of evaluation for
  programs
• Development of scales to measure body image in
  children through movement

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Conclusion

• Acknowledgements
• Dr. Deborah ODonnell
• April Corrice and Tori Whitlow
• Katie Sanchez
• Dr. Richard Platt
• Angie Draheim
• Family and Friends!!!

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References

• Bojner-Horwitz, E., Theorell, T., Anderburg, U.
  (2003). Dance/Movement therapy and changed in
  stress-related hormones a study of fibromyalgia
  patients with video-interpretation. The Arts in
  Psychotherapy, 30, 255-264.
• Caf, B., Kroflic, B., Tancig, S. (1997).
  Activation of hypoactive children with creative
  movement and dance in primary school. The Arts
  in Psychotherapy, 24, 355-365.
• Elliott, R. (1998). The use of dance in child
  psychiatry. Clinical Child Psychology and
  Psychiatry, 3, 251-265.
• Ellis, R. (2001). Movement metaphor as mediator
  a model for the dance/movement therapy process.
  The Arts in Psychotherapy, 28, 181-190.
• Erfer, T. (1995). Treating children with autism
  in a public school system. In F. Levy (Ed.),
  Dance and Other Expressive Art Therapies When
  Words Are Not Enough (pp. 191-211). New York
  Routledge.
• Erfer, T. Ziv, A. (2006). Moving toward
  cohesion group dance/movement therapy with
  children in psychiatry. The Arts in
  Psychotherapy, 33, 238-246.
• Erwin-Grabner, T., Goodill, S., Schelly-Hill, E.,
  Von Neida, K. (1999). Effectiveness of
  dance/movement therapy on reducing test anxiety.
  The American Journal of Dance Therapy, 21, 19-34.

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References

• Ierardi, F., Bottos, M., OBrien, M. (2007).
  Safe expressions a community-based creative arts
  therapy program for at-risk youth. In V.
  Camilleri (Ed.), Healing the Inner City Child
  Creative Arts Therapies with At-risk Youth (pp.
  229-241). London Jessica Kingsley.
• Kierr, S. (2007). Sit down and be quiet dance
  and movement therapy in an inner city elementary
  school after-care program. In V. Camilleri
  (Ed.), Healing the Inner City Child Creative
  Arts Therapies with At-risk Youth (pp. 229-241).
  London Jessica Kingsley.
• Koshland, L. Wittaker, J. (2004). PEACE through
  dance/movement evaluating a violence prevention
  program. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 26,
  69-90.
• Krantz, A. (1999). Growing into her body
  Dance/movement therapy for women with eating
  disorders.  American Journal of Dance Therapy,
  21, 81-103.
• Lesté, R. (1990). Effects of dance on anxiety.
  The American Journal of Dance Therapy, 12, 19-25.
• Parteli, L. (1995). Aesthetic listening
  Contributions of dance/movement therapy to the
  psychic understanding of motor stereotypes and
  distortions in autism and psychosis in childhood
  and adolescence. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 22,
  241-247.
• Pylvänäïnen, P. (2003). Body Image a tripartite
  model for use in dance/movement therapy. American
  Journal of Dance Therapy, 25, 39-55.
• Stanton-Jones, K. (1992). An Introduction to
  Dance Movement Therapy in Psychiatry. London
  Routledge.