Let's dance: Dance therapy workshop for children with disabilities

Abstract

Since there is potential for children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities to struggle with body awareness, confidence, and fine and gross motor movement, a dance workshop structured with the principles of the dance/movement therapy model was designed to help address such needs. The aim of this creative component was to provide children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities the opportunity to express themselves through dance and movement while gaining positive results associated with dance. The target audience for this project was school age children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities above the age of eight. Children were invited to attend the free workshop by contacting Oklahoma City metro school districts via email and personal contact. The workshop was held for free on April 2, 2016 and was located at DMC Dance Studio in Midwest City, Oklahoma. The workshop was structured using the Laban approach which focuses on four major components: (1) developing an awareness of space, body, and effort; (2) developing the 'language of movement'; (3) adequate time for practice and exploring; and (4) communicating and interacting with others. Eight children, six with identified disabilities and two without disabilities, were in attendance for the workshop, in addition to ten volunteer college students and two adult volunteers. A public presentation of the creative component was held on April 22, 2016 and a successful thesis defense occurred on April 27, 2016.