Dance and physical activity programmes in early childhood education and care settings are very often prescriptive, teacher or media-led, events that resemble militaristic approaches to physical development. Research conducted by Dr Jennifer Nikolai and Associate Professor Andrew Gibbons (AUT University, Auckland New Zealand) challenged this tradition and explored the benefits of alternative approaches to dance and physical activity. The researchers share “a central concern regarding the ways in which children’s experiences of their bodies and learning through, with and about their movement may be prescribed by a particular attention to a developmental and technical paradigm in early childhood dance research and practice” (Gibbons & Nikolai, 2019, p. 2).

Drawing upon findings from the research, this webinar explores the contribution of dance theory and practice to children’s risky play in early childhood education and care settings. Concepts of body awareness and movement efficiency support teachers in their aims to provide a holistic, embodied, adaptive and inclusive curriculum. Teachers' observation and awareness of individual movement preferences in children creatively supports each child’s risk-taking in jumping, pushing, falling, rolling and climbing. The objective of the research project is to support confident movers with their bodies, relating to themselves and their environments through participatory workshops that reveal and challenge assumptions about body, movement, dance and risk.

Nikolai and Gibbons will conduct a lecture demonstration. The project takes into account dance elements in relationship to self, others and materials including: centre of gravity, breath, postural alignment, tactile awareness and cross lateral movement, balance and counter-balance for educators and learners to apply in a range of settings. These elements are woven into the strands and principles of Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research proposes that dance offers significant potential to support and enhance 'risky play' opportunities in daily activities experienced by children, supported by their early childhood centre community.

The session concludes with reflective, methodological considerations towards future research practice. Participatory approaches to research with early childhood teachers will be considered supporting research aims and design, as shared between teachers and researchers.