<![CDATA[This study examines early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ understanding of dance learning for young children at TK Negeri Pembina 3, Bicoli Village, South Maba District. The research was motivated by the tendency of dance learning activities to emphasize stage performances, while learning experiences that foster creativity, exploration, improvisation, and children’s overall development have not yet been implemented optimally. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed in this study. The research involved one classroom teacher from TK Negeri Pembina 3, Bicoli Village, South Maba District, as the participant. Data were obtained through classroom observations, interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using the stages of data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the teacher has a basic understanding of dance learning for young children, particularly in relation to creativity, improvisation, and the role of dance in preserving local cultural heritage. The teacher also recognizes that dance learning contributes to children's motor, language, cognitive, social-emotional, and artistic development. Despite this understanding, dance learning has not been implemented consistently within the daily or weekly learning schedule because the school primarily prioritizes preparations for performances and graduation events. In addition, no systematic evaluation or reflection has been conducted to improve teaching practices following dance learning activities. Therefore, this study recommends that dance learning in schools should move beyond an exclusive emphasis on performance outcomes by providing children with regular opportunities to explore movement freely, express their creativity, and participate in dance activities on a continuous weekly basis.]]>
