Community-Informed Recommendations to Developing Inclusive Dance Opportunities: Engaging Community, Dance, and Rehabilitation Experts Using a Hybrid-Delphi Method.
Jacqueline C Ladwig, Kathryn M Sibley, Jacquie Ripat and 1 others
PMID 40321109WHAT IT FOUND
Community experts prioritised accessible classes of fewer than 10 persons, consistent structure, sensory adjustments, and ways to reduce observation.
Teachers were urged to demonstrate adaptations and teach actively. Assistants were urged to let dancers initiate movement before helping. These are expert recommendations, not tested interventions.
Key findings
01The community expert environment recommendations focused on space, class size, accessibility, flexible instruction, sensory needs, participation, observation, and communication.
02The primary instruction recommendations included demonstrating adaptations for different abilities and giving honest feedback.
03Assistants were advised to be active participants and to let dancers initiate movement before helping.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The method captures expert opinions, so it does not test whether the recommendations improve dance participation, movement, or well-being. The sample was small and homogeneous: eighteen completed, 94% female, 83% white, 61% in Manitoba, 18% autistic, and 82% with an undergraduate, master's, or doctoral degree. The community expert group was small (n = 6), only three participants identified as autistic or living with an intellectual or developmental disability, and all communicated independently, so it says little about dancers with complex communication needs or physical disabilities. The paper reports 21 consented and 18 completed, but Table 3 lists group counts of 6, 9, and 8, so the analysed participant numbers are unclear. The consensus process depends on participants' experience and perspectives, and separate groups may have limited interaction between community, dance, and rehabilitation viewpoints.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these recommendations as evidence that inclusive dance improves outcomes. They are prioritised expert suggestions, not tested interventions.