Rooting Dance Education in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Practical Examination of the Psychosomatic Value of Shanxi “Xiaohua Opera”

Abstract

Background: In the exam‑driven basic education of today, primary and secondary school students face multiple mental health challenges, including academic stress, emotional dysregulation, identity confusion, and insufficient peer interaction. Dance, as an embodied art integrating physical, emotional, cultural, and social dimensions, offers unique potential for psychosomatic well‑being and is increasingly recognized in aesthetic education. Dramatherapy and dance/movement therapy (DMT)—two complementary creative arts therapies—have demonstrated effectiveness in helping children and adolescents externalize emotional distress through action‑based, non‑verbal methods (Mohanan & Menon, 2017; Ougrin, Carr & Lau, 2023). Objective: This study looks at a local folk dance from Shanxi Province, “Xiaohua Opera,” and asks whether it can be used in school dance classes to help young people. The goal is to move dance education away from performance and competition toward a more inclusive, healing‑focused practice. Methods: The study used a mix of methods: reviewing past research, 60 hours of classroom observation across three schools, semi‑structured interviews with 25 people (school leaders, teachers, parents, and students), case studies of 12 students, and three rounds of action research. The theories used include aesthetic education, dramatherapy, DMT, and adolescent psychology. Ethics approval and informed consent from schools and parents were obtained before data collection. Results: Three main benefits appeared. First, the dance helped students release physical tension and manage emotions. Second, it gave them a stronger sense of cultural belonging and self‑worth. Third, group dancing improved their social skills, trust, and reduced social anxiety. Conclusion: With changes in curriculum goals, teaching materials, class formats, evaluation methods, teacher roles, and long‑term planning, Xiaohua Opera can become a regular, low‑cost tool for psychosomatic support in schools. A comparison with Teochew opera (Ngiew) in Thailand shows that without active efforts to engage the young generation, traditional arts fade. The lesson is clear: make it participatory, not just preserved.