Dance as a factor of social inclusion and behavioral changes in adolescents assisting in social projects

Introduction: Dance provides an environment in which individuals can develop behavioral, social and affective changes. Regarding this context, it is a tool to influence the personal construction of children and young people. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of students assisted in dance social projects. Methods: This is an observational, quantitative, cross-sectional study, using field research. Children and adolescents of different genders, who had been part of one of the projects for at least six months, were randomly selected. A total of 65 participants aged 8 to 17 years were analyzed. A adapted questionnaire were based on the article “The importance of Dance in the Psychomotor Development of Children and Adolescents”. This survey can be used to assess the students' level of perception in the affective, cognitive, social and motor aspects. Results: A total of 65 students were evaluated. Of these, 12 (23.1%) were male, 46 (72.3%) were female and 7 (4.6%) did not identify with the binary genders (female and male). Significant improvements were found in the participants' cognition, social, affective and motor relationships. However, research still needs to be carried out to advance knowledge about the effects of dance as a means of social interaction and long-term behavioral change. Conclusion: Understanding the differences in results found between genders is one of the points observed in this research, and which also deserve attention for future studies focused on this area of knowledge.