New research has demonstrated that physical fitness in children is dramatically improved through involvement in dance. The Dance Science Research Report, produced by Laban in partnership with Hampshire Dance, assessed the effects of a ten-week creative dance programme on the physiological and psychological health and fitness characteristics of 348 schoolchildren aged between 11 and 14.
Measures of lung capacity, flexibility and aerobic capacity were found to have improved in all participants with the increase found to be statistically significant among the female participants. The report concludes that girls who drop-out of most other physical activities at this age could be more inclined to engage in dance if it was made available to them.
Published: 26-03-2007