Dance for wellness

Health, wellbeing and physical education should consider the whole person.  It needs to develop affective (emotional), social, spiritual and physical capacities of students.  This philosophy takes into consideration Wilder and Karpiak’s 3 Voices model (source: Cloud Deakin resources, 2014).  The “I” concerns are that students build self-esteem, engage with life and realise their potential; “I” is also about realising personal emotions.  The “It” is contained in the socialisation with others; management of emotions, managing the effect that our actions and reactions have on others and noticing emotions of other people and how other people affect us.  The “We” is to do with being well so that individuals can contribute to society; knowing ones purpose in society and being at peace with that.   Encompassing all these “voices of self” Trawich-Smith discuss that as children get older they become more aware of how their emotions affect themselves and others, seeing themselves as competent or not has a marked effect on their self-esteem (2010, p.428).  Meldrum states that teachers need to provide opportunities to practice social interaction with guidance and support, particularly for students who struggle (2012, p. 36).   Further in discussing health and wellbeing philosophy The Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) 2007, state that “the defining ideas of wellbeing centre on … being optimistic and engaging with life. It means having a sense of purpose, self-acceptance and positive relationships” (source: Tregengza, 2008, p. 2).  World Health Organisation states that “Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (source: Johansen, 2013, p. 13).