From Indigenous dance to physical literacy: an ethnochoreological framework for early childhood education among the Suku Anak Dalam of Indonesia

This dissertation examines the Kelik Lang dance of the Suku Anak Dalam community in Jambi Province, Indonesia, as a form of Indigenous movement knowledge linked to cultural transmission and physical literacy in early childhood education. Using critical ethnography and Community-Based Action Research, data were collected through participant observation, interviews, focus groups, movement documentation, and field notes involving customary leaders, dance practitioners, teachers, parents, and children. The findings show that Kelik Lang embodies ecological relations, collective memory, and cultural identity through locomotor, non-locomotor, and stability movements. These movements function not only as physical activity but also as embodied practices for transmitting cultural values and environmental knowledge across generations. The study develops an Ethnochoreological Framework for Physical Literacy comprising Indigenous Movement Knowledge, Ethnochoreological Analysis, Physical Literacy Transformation, and Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Learning. It argues for a culturally grounded physical literacy model that recognizes Indigenous dance as embodied cultural knowledge in educational contexts.