Creative Thinking and Dance/Movement Skills of Hearing-Impaired Youth: An Experimental Study

Changes in creative thinking, as measured by Torrance's (1974) Thinking Creatively with Pictures, and in dance/movement skills were investigated in two groups of hearing-impaired students, aged 9-14. The experimental group (n=10) received 20 creative dance/movement lessons spaced over a 10-week period, whereas the control group (n=10) adhered to its regular school routine. Analysis of covariance showed that students given dance training improved significantly in originality, elaboration, total thinking creatively score, and dance/movement skills. The rationale for including the creative arts, particularly dance, in the curricula for hearing-impaired students was thus strengthened.