Pediatric Dance Movement Therapy: Exploring the Research

Dance has long been a part of cultures around the world, but what role does it play in children’s physical and psychological well-being?  In this article, we’ll explore the impact that dance has on the youngest members of our communities.  Additionally, we’ll explore research specific to dance movement therapy for pediatric oncology patients. 

What is Dance Movement Therapy? 

Before we dive into the research, it’s important to distinguish between recreational dance and Dance Movement Therapy (DMT).   

DMT is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual” and is facilitated by masters-degree level clinicians.  Evidence demonstrates benefits of spontaneous, creative dance and DMT, however it’s important to note that DMT is an embodied therapeutic approach that addresses experiences and emotions related to illness.  It can be applied in a variety of circumstances including stress management, building resilience, and improving social connection. 

To further understand these benefits, let’s examine recent studies on the physiological and psychological effects of dance, followed by a closer look at its application in pediatric oncology.   

Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Dance 

A systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychology (June 2022) examined the physiological and psychological benefits of dance on children.  A literature search found 17 peer reviewed papers that met inclusion criteria.  All included studies were published in English within the past 20 years with dance as an intervention for children 18 years and younger.  Dance forms used in these studies varied and included ballet, jazz, traditional Indian dance, African dance, contemporary, and exergaming video dance.   

Results from these studies demonstrated benefits across the following physiological and psychological outcomes: 

Physiological 

• Improved Sleep.  A study of adolescent females who engaged in 48 dance classes over 24 weeks demonstrated improvements in daytime fatigue and quality of sleep indicators that included falling asleep, less worried sleep, and waking up during the night.  These improvements were noted during the intervention period and persisted up to 20 months post-intervention.   

• Pain Reduction. A dance and yoga intervention was studied in females aged 9-13 with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome.  The intervention of 2 dance yoga sessions per week for 8 months resulted in greater pain reductions than conventional treatments alone. 

• Reduced Body Fat and Increased Bone Mineral Density.  A study involving dance-based video games showed reductions in body fat and increases in bone mineral density compared to non-exercising controls..  

• Decreased Cholesterol Levels. A study focused on 8-10 year old females demonstrated  decreases in fasting total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol following a two year dance intervention. 

 Psychological 

• Improved Executive Functions and Working Memory.  Results of multiple studies in primary school age children demonstrated that dance programs improved executive functions, working memory, social skills, and problem solving. 

• Decreased Symptoms of Depression.  Multiple studies of dance interventions for adolescents demonstrated improvements in symptoms related to depression. 

• Improved Parental Relationships.  A study on obese adolescents engaged in an exergaming dance program found that participants reported improved relationships with their parents and an improved sense of self-efficacy.   

While this retrospective review provides insights into an array of benefits of varied dance programs, we will now examine the impact and use of DMT specifically in pediatric oncology. 

Addressing Pain and Psychological Distress in Pediatric Oncology 

A retrospective study published in Current Oncology (July 2023) evaluated data from a chart review of 100 pediatric patients who received DMT at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center  between 2011 to 2021.  These 100 randomized patients participated in a total of 1160 DMT visits.   

Key findings from retrospective chart review revealed: 

• Majority of clinical referrals to DMT were to address psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and stress) and pain 

• Over 90% of the visits were follow ups as compared with new patient visits, suggesting that patients found value in the therapy such as to continue with follow up visits 

• The most common duration was 15-25 minutes per DMT session 

• While DMT was provided both inpatient and outpatient, it was most often utilized in the inpatient setting 

• Clinicians reported observing improvements in patients' social interaction and psychological distress where they felt more calm and relaxed.  Clinicians also noticed an increase in physical activity engagement. 

• Benefits were also observed among caregivers with decreased caregiving burden noted in those who participated in the sessions 

 Therapeutic themes of the DMT sessions were also evaluated and revealed four primary components: 

• Self-Expression.  DMT supported natural movement, creative expression and a sense of agency and control for patients. 

• Emotional Self-Regulation.  Through mirroring, embodiment, attunement, and kinesthetic-sensory techniques, patients were able to identify, process, and physically express difficult emotions.  

• Embodied Coping.  Patients learned strategies to increase their body awareness, including being able to recognize and respond to physical signs of distress.  These strategies included grounding and anchoring techniques, auditory cues, breathing exercises and guided imagery. 

• Socialization.  Improved caregiver-child interactions were facilitated through teaching caregivers how to detect and respond to children’s non-verbal and verbal cues of distress. 

Taken together, these studies highlight the wide-ranging potential of dance and DMT to support the physiological and psychological well-being of children and adolescents.  While further research is needed to define protocols, determine optimal treatment durations, and explore population-specific outcomes, the existing evidence is compelling.   

Dance and DMT offer avenues for expression, regulation, and connection.  As integrative approaches to healthcare are becoming increasingly necessary, dance and DMT are promising modalities to help young patients and their caregivers navigate illness with greater resilience,  physicality, creativity, and social support.   

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Resources: 

Bryl K, Tortora S, Whitley J, Kim SD, Raghunathan NJ, Mao JJ, Chimonas S. Utilization, Delivery, and Outcomes of Dance/Movement Therapy for Pediatric Oncology Patients and their Caregivers: A Retrospective Chart Review. Curr Oncol. 2023 Jul 6;30(7):6497-6507. doi: 10.3390/curroncol30070477. PMID: 37504337; PMCID: PMC10378356. 

Tao D, Gao Y, Cole A, Baker JS, Gu Y, Supriya R, Tong TK, Hu Q, Awan-Scully R. The Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Dance and its Effects on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Front Physiol. 2022 Jun 13;13:925958. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.925958. PMID: 35770195; PMCID: PMC9234256. 

Tortora S. Children Are Born to Dance! Pediatric Medical Dance/Movement Therapy: The View from Integrative Pediatric Oncology. Children (Basel). 2019 Jan 21;6(1):14. doi: 10.3390/children6010014. PMID: 30669668; PMCID: PMC6352017.