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Young Children & Movement:  The Power of Creative Dance

in Young Children, March 2010

National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington DC

Photos © Kevin Wauligman. Illustrations © Diane Greenseid.

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If you were to peek into my creative dance class, you might see a teacher and preschoolers sitting with their legs crossed, swaying from side to side. This activity in itself may not look particularly exciting. However, if you realized that we are imagining ourselves on a boat trip, riding the ocean waves, each carrying different cargo in our boats and visiting exotic destinations along the way, you would understand the enthusiastic smiles on the children's faces.

Or you might see us walking very slowly and quietly. However, in our imaginations, we are creeping through the jungle, trying to spot different animals. We move like each animal we encounter- swimming, crawling, galloping, and soaring. This is a glimpse of the excitement in store for young children who experience creative dance.

Children move the instant they are born and the moment they wake up every morning. Moving is one of the first and most important ways infants and toddlers explore and learn about the world, and this process continues as they grow and develop. Why, then, is creative movement not an integral part of every early childhood curriculum? My theory is twofold.

First, teachers and society at large are less familiar with dance than with the other performing arts. Second, because some teachers may not have experience with dance, they may be uncomfortable offering creative movement. They may think that bringing dance into the classroom will result in children moving randomly and without noticing the other children. However, one of the gifts of guided creative movement is that it helps children learn to control their bodies and develop awareness of moving in a space with other children. As children learn awareness and body control through movement, they become familiar with following instructions, listening for cues, and respecting others as they move together in the shared space. Creative movement can be a guidance tool teachers use in many ways during the day (Gilbert 2002).

What is creative movement?

Teachers and parents often ask this question. The terms dance and movement are interchangeable when referring to creative movement. Creative movement is an art form whose medium is the human body in motion. The four basic elements of dance are the body and its different parts and range of movement, and space, time, and energy (Stinson 1988). Understanding and using these four elements can open up a range of imaginative possibilities. For example, teachers can enliven marching, a basic locomotor movement, by varying the four elements: 

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