The finished product is all most people see and the only knowledge most have of dance. Performers are made-up and ready to put their best work on the floor for audiences to enjoy. However, dance is more than a set of steps to music. Dance is a learning process.
Dance allows participants to learn about themselves. A study completed in 20081 found that participants in dance classes found a new respect for their body, gained confidence within them, and found a new respect for others and their diverse cultures.
Dance also teaches the participant how to intrinsically motivate themselves to overcome obstacles by problem solving. A study performed in 20012 showed that through the learning process of dance, the participants learned to adjust their body to match and overcome their struggles with choreography. The participants in that study also had to intrinsically motivate themselves when learning difficult choreography that forced them to push themselves harder.
Dance is more than meets the eye. Most people do not know what goes on behind the curtain, where dancers work through a lot of struggle. However, through the struggle, dancers learn something new about themselves or find out what they have within themselves.
Sources
1 Gardner, S., Komesaroff, P., & Fensham, R. (2008). Dancing beyond exercise: young people's experiences in dance classes. Journal of Youth Studies, 11(6), 701-709. doi:10.1080/13676260802393294
2 Lazaroff, E. M. (2001). Performance and Motivation in Dance Education. Arts Education Policy Review, 103(2), 23
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