Biodanza and Other Dance Forms as a Vehicle for Social-Emotional-Learning in Schools: A Scoping Review

Abstract

In this scoping review, the literature on the relationship between dance and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) was consolidated. Research of various forms of dance on psychosocial outcomes among K-6 populations included: increased sense of belonging, violence prevention, and increased creative thinking and problem-solving responses. The dance form, Biodanza, in particular, may be useful in engaging students in the active practice of social skills, appropriate use of body language, self-regulation, self-awareness, and boundaries. We suggest that using dance as a tool for SEL in the classrooms may contribute to improved student mental health and to more inclusive schools.

The need for robust critique of arts and health research: Dance‐movement therapy, girls, and depression

“…Results for the nine subscales and three summary indices derived from the SCL-90-R are reported by Jeong et al 32 in their Table 2 (p. 1716). All mean values reported for the DMT and control group at baseline are close to the population mean of 50 (range [43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57]. The depression mean score for the DMT group is 51.8 and 43.6 for the control group.…”

“…Author Koch et al 47 Koch et al 48 Meekums et al 49 Karkou et al 50 Strassel et al 51 Kiepe et al 52 Millman et al 53 Tao et al 54 Mala et al 55 Calçada and Gilham 56 Grudzińska and Izdebski 57 Lopez-Nieves and Jakobsche 58 Lossing et al 59 Lykesas et al 60…”

“…a meta-analysis, [47][48][49][50] four reviews are systematic, [51][52][53][54] two are scoping reviews, 55,56 and the remaining four are described by the authors as reviews. [57][58][59][60] One review protocol was registered in Cochrane, 49,61 and only one protocol in PROSPERO.…”

“…48,50 Four systematic reviews were not preregistered in PROSPERO. 47,[51][52][53] Two scoping reviews 55,56 and a further four evidence reviews [57][58][59][60] were not eligible for registration in PROS-PERO. One meta-analysis, 50 two systematic reviews, 53,54 and one scoping review 56 referred to PRISMA guidelines, but four further reviews 48,49,51,52 did include a PRISMA-style flow diagram of progress in the review.…”

“…Mala et al 55 describe Jeong et al 32 as one of the two "strongest studies of D/MT for clients with depression" in their review but take the Jeong et al 32 findings at face value. Calçada and Gilham, 56 Lossing et al, 59 and Lykesas et al 60 provide a descriptive account of Jeong et al 32 but no critical analysis. Millman et al 53 take the Jeong et al 32 findings at face value but do express skepticism over the idea that changes in neurotransmitter concentrations explain the claimed effects of DMT on depression as "they did not report correlations between these changes" (p. 30).…”