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  • Dancing after homelessness
    Fortin, Sylvie

    Research in dance education, 01/2022, Letnik: 23, Številka: 1
    Journal Article

    Dance as an artform touches the biopsychosocial dimensions of people and as such is increasingly used as a vehicle to improve the quality of life of diverse populations in the community. Yet little is known about how dance classes are experienced by marginalized populations. The purpose of this action research was to explore the potential of dance to contribute to the recovery of women having experienced homelessness. The objectives were to describe: 1) the artistic content (the 'what') and the pedagogical approach (the 'how') of the classes, and 2) the experiences of all the people involved in the action research (women, workers at the women's home, dance facilitators and researcher). Over a three-year period, weekly classes were offered in a women's home. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus groups and observations. A thematic analysis revealed eleven categories of dance activities which were subsequently associated with indicators of recovery. The pedagogical approach was driven by a set of values clearly embedded in the classes; the facilitators deployed numerous adaptations to answers the women's needs. Sufficient evidence supports the claim that dance is a promising practice for individual women's process of recovery. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.