Benefits of Movement
Participants leave with both a theoretical understanding and an embodied experience of why movement and performance matter in education - and how they can be used to support student growth.
Description
Benefits of Movement & Performance is a 4-session workshop series designed to advocate for the role of expressive movement and the performing arts in education. This series explores how movement-based and performance-centered learning supports cognitive development, emotional regulation, communication skills, and social connection in young people.
Grounded in research-informed principles from movement science, kinesics, theatre education, and embodied learning, the workshop examines how physical expression enhances learning across disciplines. While academic in focus, each session includes accessible movement activities that allow participants—especially those who do not typically identify as “movers”—to experience firsthand how movement and performance deepen understanding, engagement, and personal connection.
The series emphasizes movement and performance not as extracurricular enrichment, but as essential tools for helping students develop self-awareness, empathy, collaboration skills, and confidence. Participants leave with a clearer understanding of how expressive movement and the performing arts can be intentionally integrated into educational environments to support whole-person learning.
Objectives
Participants will:
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Examine the educational, cognitive, and social benefits of movement and performance-based learning
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Understand how expressive movement supports communication, emotional regulation, and collaboration
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Experience accessible movement activities that demonstrate embodied learning in practice
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Identify ways movement and performance can support diverse learning styles
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Explore advocacy strategies for integrating performing arts into school curricula
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Articulate the value of movement and performance as essential components of education