Abstract
The present study aims to assess the effects on mood of a free dynamic dance accompanying high speed music (Kachaashii, an Okinawan folk dance which is usually performed in an exciting atmosphere) . Forty-eight females (ages : 25-63,average : 44.0) were divided at random into 2 groups, Dance and Control groups. Dance group performed Kachaashii, while the other was given a rest period. Both groups took pre- and post-tests of POMS. GLM analysis made it clear that Kachaashii had significant effects on each of the 6 states of POMS. In other words, Dance group and Control group responded differently to the tests. Dance group scored higher on Vigor, while scoring lower on the rest of POMS, namely Tension, Depression, Anger, Fatigue, and Confusion. Therefore, it is tenable to say that Kachaashii is effective enough to increase Vigor, to relax Tension, to alleviate Depression, to soothe Anger, to decrease Fatigue, and to ameliorate Confusion. In addition, the Dance group performed differently on POMS before and after the dance : Vigor scores increased significantly, while Tension, Depression, Anger, Fatigue, and Confusion scores declined significantly. The Control group did not record much changes.
