Outdoor Dance, Somatics, and Sustainability: A Systematic Review of Ecological, Pedagogical, and Socio-Cultural Dimensions and the Proposed Eco-Choreographic Protocol

This systematic review aimed to synthesize empirical and practice-based literature on eco-somatic and environmentally engaged dance in outdoor and nature-integrated spaces, and to develop a conceptual and pedagogical framework for their future application in sustainability education. Following a PICOS-guided protocol, database searches in EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2010–2026) identified 14 eligible studies. These studies, primarily qualitative, ethnographic, and practice-led, were appraised using the CASP qualitative checklist and analyzed through thematic narrative synthesis. The findings show that eco-somatic and outdoor dance practices support somatic anchoring, emotional regulation, and psychological well-being; reconfigure human–environment relations by recognizing nature as an active co-creator; and foster empathy, democratic participation, and inclusive community building across ages and contexts. Grounded in these empirical findings, the Triadic Model of Regenerative Eco-Somatics and the Eco-Choreographic Protocol, including the Soma-Sustainable Cycle, are proposed as an integrated roadmap for embedding sustainability and UN SDGs into dance pedagogy and community programmes, while highlighting the need for longitudinal and curricular research to consolidate their transformative potential.