Traditional children’s dance teaching often relies on demonstration and repetitive imitation, which may not suit the developmental characteristics of primary school children. This study examined the effects of the Orff approach on dance learning outcomes among eight-year-old children. Thirty children from a primary school dance club in Shiyan, China, were randomly assigned to an Orff group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Over six months, the Orff group received dance instruction integrating speech rhythm, body percussion, multi-part rhythm, round and rhythmic variation exercises, while the control group received conventional instruction with the same teacher, content and teaching hours. Dance expressiveness, learning interest, learning attitude and rhythm errors during performance were assessed before and after the intervention, and parents of the Orff group completed a satisfaction questionnaire. The groups did not differ at baseline. After the intervention, the Orff group scored higher than the control group on learning interest and learning attitude (t(28) = 5.15, p < .001, d = 1.88). Dance expressiveness showed a medium, non-significant advantage for the Orff group (t(28) = 1.83, p = .079, d = 0.67), and rhythm errors decreased more in the Orff group (38.5% vs. 16.7%). Parent satisfaction reached 92.0%. The Orff approach appears to be an effective way to strengthen children’s motivation in dance learning.
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