Relationship of body image and creative dance movement

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Kinesiology
• Dance Therapy

Background:

• Previous research on dance and body image is contradictory.
• Studies often focus on structured dance forms like ballet and jazz.
• Creative dance movement, with its unstructured nature, may offer unique benefits for body image.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between creative dance movement participation and body image.
• To determine if experience level in creative dance movement influences body image satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• 112 women aged 18-69 participated.
• Participants had varying durations of creative dance movement experience (2 weeks to 16.5 years).
• The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) was used to assess body image.

Main Results:

• Women with more than five years of creative dance movement experience reported greater satisfaction with their appearance, fitness, and body parts compared to those with less experience.
• No clear differences were found in the evaluation of health.
• A positive correlation between creative dance movement experience and body image satisfaction was observed.

Conclusions:

• Creative dance movement may enhance body image satisfaction, particularly with sustained participation.
• The findings support the potential clinical application of creative dance movement for individuals with body image disturbances.
• Further empirical research is warranted to explore this relationship comprehensively.