Effects of dance education on emotional repair and identity reconstruction in women

Abstract

This study examines the effects of dance education on emotional repair and identity reconstruction among women, with particular attention to the roles of embodiment, bodily governance, and negotiated agency. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to women participating in formal and semi-formal dance education settings in selected Chinese cities. The study measured six latent constructs: Dance Education Engagement, Embodiment, Emotional Repair, Identity Reconstruction, Bodily Governance, and Negotiated Agency. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the relationships among these variables. The findings show that dance education significantly enhances embodiment, which in turn positively contributes to emotional repair and identity reconstruction. The results further indicate that although dance spaces may reproduce forms of bodily governance through discipline and normative expectations, women actively negotiate these structures through agency and self-expression. Overall, the study highlights dance education as both an embodied pedagogical practice and a psychosocial resource that supports women’s emotional wellbeing and self-redefinition. These findings contribute to growing scholarship on movement-based interventions and suggest that dance education may offer meaningful benefits for women’s mental health, empowerment, and holistic wellbeing.