This weekend saw about 125 boys and girls aged between eight and 16 years from various schools take part in a dance competition.
Some of us parents watching were often amazed by some of the talent displayed by these youngsters.
Even more so, I was actually in awe of the sportsmanship, the professionalism and the commitment, displayed by the dancers towards one another.
And then I thought dance should actually have the same status in schools as say a language or a science subject.
This physical activity brought together boys and girls from various nationalities and backgrounds onto stage and just let them be themselves.
Researchers Charlotte Svendler Nielsen and Stephanie Burridge say the value of dance is invaluable in all kinds of settings: From Finland to South Africa, Ghana to Taiwan, and New Zealand to America.
The low status of dance in schools is derived in part from the high status of conventional academic work, which associates intelligence mainly with verbal and mathematical reasoning.
Studies collected by Nielsen and Burridge explore how a deeper understanding of dance challenges standard conceptions of intelligence and achievement and show the transformative power of movement for people of all ages and backgrounds.
“Dance can help restore joy and stability in troubled lives and ease the tensions in schools disrupted by violence and bullying,” they say.
Dance is a simple physical expression of movement and rhythm of relationships, feelings and ideas.
Researchers say dance education has important benefits for students’ social relationships, particularly among genders and age groups.
In an evaluation of Dancing Classrooms in New York City, 95 per cent of teachers said as a result of dancing together, there was a demonstrable improvement in students’ abilities to co-operate and collaborate.
In a survey in Los Angeles, 66pc of school principals said after being in a dance programme, their students showed an increased acceptance of others and 81pc of students said they treated others with more respect.
A panel of researchers in kinesiology and paediatrics conducted a review of more than 850 studies about the effects of physical activity on school-age children.
Most of the studies measured the effects of 30 to 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity three to five days a week on many factors – physical factors such as obesity, cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure and bone density, as well as depression, anxiety, self-concept and academic performance.
Based on strong evidence in a number of these categories, the panel firmly recommended that students should take part in one hour (or more) of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.
Looking specifically at academic performance, the panel found strong evidence to support the conclusion that “physical activity has a positive influence on memory, concentration and classroom behaviour.”
I can vouch for that as a mother of a teenage dancer, whose love and commitment to this physical activity has allowed her to develop into an amazing rounded individual.
Reem Antoon is a former GDN news editor, she can be reached on clanmun4@gmail.com.