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With young peoples’ health very much a national concern, Hampshire Dance, in partnership with West Sussex County Council and Laban, is continuing to investigate the health benefits of dance for young people.
NRG2 looks at the impact of creative dance on the health and wellbeing of young people and whether there is any difference for boys and girls. The project engaged with over 150 young people in Year 7/8 across three schools along the West Sussex coast between September and December 2009.
Alongside the dance programme researchers from Laban measured changes in the participants' health and wellbeing. The results are now being analysed and will be published in early autumn 2010.
NRG2 is funded by Big Lottery Fund chances4change, West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Primary Care Trust and Youth Dance England.
In 2005, with funding from the Joint Investment Fund for the Arts in the SHIPS region (Southampton, Hampshire, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight) Hampshire Dance joined forces with Laban to develop a youth dance and health project.
The aim of NRG was to scientifically investigate the impact of creative dance on the physiological and psychological health and fitness characteristics of school children aged 11-14 years old.
NRG was led by local dance practitioners and combined fun, physical dance activity with creative tasks around health and science-based topics such as how the body works, the impact of exercise on the body and food as an energy source.
Over the course of the 10-week programme, the Dance Science department at Laban measured the physiological impact and benefits of participation as well as changes in young people’s motivation and wellbeing.
In brief, the research demonstrated that physical fitness increased significantly amongst the females and positive adaptations were also evident in males and females with regards to psychological wellbeing, although these were not statistically significant.
A project of this kind had never before been undertaken in the UK and proved to be highly successful in providing robust evidence for the health benefits of dance for young people.
You can get the full NRG report by visiting the download resources page of this website.
A teaching resource of creative dance ideas with a health focus aimed at those working with young people. Developed through the NRG project, this resource includes practical ideas for warm-up, sequences designed to raise the heart rate and creative tasks around the body and healthy lifestyles.
If you would like to order this teaching resource please contact us