A Comparative Study on the Interests and Values of Institutionalized Children and of Dancing Children Who Come From Families

"Introduction: Institutionalized children are at risk in terms of their integration into society, as the lack of educational and financial resources hinders the development of their cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Sports activities contribute to the development of interests and influence the general education of the children, which can be stimulated through music and dance - the most representative artistic field that allows the psychomotor development of children. Objective: The aim of this study is to ascertain the differences between the institutionalized children and the dancers who come from families in terms of their interests and values. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five children aged 11-12 participated in the study, including 30 children in foster care who do not participate in organized extracurricular physical activities and 25 performance dancers who come from organized families. Results: The interest in the various activities in which children are asked to participate is more obvious in dancers, particularly from an artistic and social point of view, and children in foster care are preoccupied with free time and social relations, with authority being the least valued. Conclusions: The influence of dance on children’s development can be noticed in the results of the psychological tests assessing their interests and values, which suggest that dancers are more interested in extracurricular activities compared to children in foster care centers and they are more concerned about their future employment situation. Keywords. dance, interests, values, institutionalized children "