The role of street dance in developing psychomotor skills and creativity of students

Abstract

Given the premise that dance is an activity suitable for integration in Physical Education and Sport classes, we aimed to test this by implementing teaching projects incorporating elements of Street Dance. Similar to other sports, which rely on motor skills and actions, only in this case mostly performed to music, Street Dance can bring countless benefits to a person's life. Whether we are talking about psychomotor or cognitive skills, the literature argues that dance can be a valuable tool for improving them. Considering the novelty that Street Dance represents, and its ongoing evolution, coupled with the increasing attraction of young people to this dance style, we considered this research to be beneficial. The study was carried out in a secondary school in Bucharest, Sector 3, and the 17 participants were 8th grade students. As part of the research, we used the RCMV computerized test, which helped us to investigate the reactivity, hand-foot coordination and vigilance of the subjects. Also, creativity was explored through a test consisting of geometric figures, adapted by Mihaela Roco. The statistically significant differences (Wilcoxon test was used) allow us to say that the improvements achieved are not random, but are also due to the exercise programme intervention.