Exploring the impact of dance: intersectoral quantitative and qualitative methodological challenges, lessons learned,...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation and Allied Health
• Movement and Dance Therapy
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Dance interventions are increasingly popular but lack detailed descriptions of facilitator roles and outcome measurement.
• Measuring the impact of dance programs on diverse populations presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore changes in participants of six diverse dance groups using quantitative and qualitative methods.
• To describe the pedagogical strategies of a dance facilitator through qualitative analysis.

Main Methods:

• A non-randomized pre-post study involving 34 participants across six dance groups (cerebral palsy, visual impairment, physical rehabilitation, Parkinson's disease, formerly unsheltered women, older adults).
• Quantitative data included heart rate variability (HRV), exercise expectation, enjoyment, and flow scales.
• Qualitative data comprised interviews, observations, video recording, and thematic analysis of facilitator interactions.

Main Results:

• Heart rate variability (HRV) data were unusable; other quantitative outcomes showed no statistically significant trends.
• Qualitative thematic analysis highlighted adaptive verbal and non-verbal interactions between facilitator and participants, correlating with pleasure, effort, and body engagement.

Conclusions:

• Despite non-significant quantitative findings, qualitative results offer valuable insights into dance intervention dynamics.
• Recommendations for future dance research and policy are provided based on lessons learned.