Will you dance with me, Dr E? Empowering early childhood practitioners through dance

Dance education in preschool has been linked to many benefits for children’s development. However, research shows that practitioners often lack the confidence to implement such activities, as they feel they are missing substantial knowledge in this area. This paper aims to address this issue and empower practitioners to use dance as an essential tool in their teaching practice. The project did not aim to teach specific dance styles but to support practitioners to use dance as a collaborative process with children, giving them a voice. The intervention took place in four preschool classrooms over four months in South-East London. 18 practitioners participated, using the Dancing with Dr E framework on a weekly basis. Practitioners had no previous experience in dance. The intervention took place for 20–30 mins, three times per week but this was flexible. The outcomes of the intervention were measured with a short questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Findings demonstrated the benefits of the dance intervention for practitioners’ well-being and confidence, providing opportunities for self-reflection, mindfulness, and following a child-led methodology. The sustainability of the project was confirmed, as practitioners planned to integrate it into their future practices in various ways, supporting the community and reaching a wider audience.