I would definitely say the programme had a positive impact . For example , at the start of the programme the girls were all awkward and did not want to participate . However , the dance artists were great at encouraging the girls . They were proactive in demonstrating the moves and that really helped to motivate them . Because of the leader ’ s approach , the girls developed confidence in their ability and spoke out more , they even began to help one another . The girls ’ resilience also grew as they began to deal with disappointment if they did not get things right the first time .
The girls that are more relaxed about dancing helped with the music and encouraged those that felt less comfortable . The Dance Artist remarked :
It was great to see their kindness and willingness to help others .
The mutual support was also picked up by the classroom assistant :
The sessions also created personal development opportunities . For example , we had one young girl who was hard on herself , saying she looked stupid and constantly put herself down . The rest of the girls started supporting her , offering positive comments about how she looked and reassuring her by giving her positive feedback .
Sometimes young people are affected by mood swings and erratic behaviour that can disrupt sessions for the whole group if not handled properly . However , YDance demonstrated good leadership skills as the Classroom Assistant observed :
We had a couple of girls who would come in totally stressed out : raging , shouting , and swearing . They would refuse to take part saying the sessions were rubbish and a waste
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