Enhancing Body Image: After-school Dance Program for 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 O’Donnell, PhD April 28, 2008

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

3. 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 1940’s • Leading Pioneers: • Marian Chace • Mary Whitehouse • Alma Hawkins

4. Introduction: Elements of DMT • Body Action • Symbolism • Movement Metaphor/Authentic Movement • Therapeutic Movement Relationship • Group Rhythmic Movement Relationship

5. Introduction: DMT with Adults • Fibromyalgia (Bojner-Horwitz, Theorell, & Anderburg, 2003) • Anxiety/Test anxiety (Erwin-Grabner et al., 1996; Lesté, 1990) • Schizophrenia (Ellis, 2001)

6. Introduction: DMT with Children • Autism (Erfer, 1995; Parteli, 1995) • Hypoactive children (Caf, Kroflič, & Tancig, 1997) • Psychiatric Populations (Elliot, 1998; Erfer & Ziv, 2006) • At-risk youth (Ierardi, Bottos, & O’Brien, 2007; Kierr, 2007; Koshland & Whittaker, 2004)

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. Method: Materials • Journals • Interviews • Feedback Questions • Feeling Questions • Body Image Questions • Video-tape coding • Confidence • Willingness to Participate • Body Use • Emotion

11. 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

12. 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

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

14. Discussion: Limitations • Participation limitations • No control for outside experiences • Journal reflections completed unsupervised • Not “true” DMT

15. 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

16. Conclusion • Acknowledgements: Dr. Deborah O’Donnell April Corrice and Tori Whitlow Katie Sanchez Dr. Richard Platt Angie Draheim Family and Friends!!!

17. 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., Kroflič, 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.

18. References Ierardi, F., Bottos, M., & O’Brien, 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.