Why We Should All Be Dancing
Ever since I was about three years old, I knew dancing was my thing. My parents learned this lesson shortly after signing me up for soccer only to find me in the corner of the field creating my own choreography, absolutely oblivious to the game around me. I was lucky my parents recognized my dance obsession and signed me up for classes the following week. With my dance studio I found new friends, I felt empowered to perform in front of crowds, and to love myself anyways, even if I missed a step. Dance was my constant companion until I graduated high school 15 years later. In college, I wasn’t dancing regularly because I didn’t belong to a studio nor join a dance club. Instead, my roommate and I would de-stress by dancing to Rihanna in our dorm room. There’s this joyful feeling of release when you move your body along with a stellar song. And in a room full of people with everyone dancing, it becomes an electric, collective experience. I had no doubt, dancing was my thing.
Once I graduated college, I moved abroad all by myself into a sunny one-bedroom apartment in the heart of Madrid. The panic of being in a foreign city without a familiar face in sight hit me hard, and despite majoring in Spanish in college I suddenly couldn’t understand a word. It felt like my anxiety was this big scary monster blocking me from exploring the amazing city around me. Then one day after crying on the phone to a friend about being miserable in Madrid, she gently suggested “What about dance?” I realized then that anxiety had taken over so much of my brain I almost lost one of my essential parts.
I want to acknowledge that not everyone is obsessed with dancing like I am. Dancing can feel daunting, scary, or maybe even embarrassing. But listen here, my dear reader, I’m encouraging you to dance anyways...even if you don’t have a rhythmic bone in your body. When I found a dance studio in Madrid and was en route to my first hip hop dance class, my anxious brain told me I wouldn’t be good at dancing anymore, that everyone would be better than me, that this would be a disaster. But when an infectiously good beat comes on, you can’t help but smile a little bit, your toe might even tap along to the beat, you might nod your head along too. I want to challenge you to lean into that good feeling that good music brings. Let your body lead over your brain, get a little silly, and move a little! Not only is dance an enjoyable and accessible way to exercise, it goes even deeper by providing an outlet for your emotions which can promote healing, empowerment, and a stronger mind-body connection. In this blog I’ll explore all the ways dance can make us feel stronger, inside and out. Here’s what dance can do for you:
Your body will feel stronger.
Your mind will feel lighter.
You will unlock a new appreciation for your favorite songs.
You will make new friends (if you dance in a community setting).
You will feel empowered and proud of yourself.
That’s a lot of promises to make, right? Let me provide some scientific evidence for you. First let’s talk about a small study conducted in New Zealand. This 10 week-long study looked at the benefits dance had on a group of older adults with dementia. Once a week, participants worked and created an original series of dance exercises that was accessible for them. Researchers found that regardless of physical limitations, the positive effects were numerous and included memory recalling, spontaneous dancing outside of the session, increased socialization, and more smiling! (ScienceDaily) There are numerous studies now demonstrating the link between dancing and stronger memory recall. This study reveals that dance can be a powerful tool in strengthening memory recall even for those with dementia, who have already lost significant memory functioning. Not to mention, more smiling! How can you argue with the recommendations of a study that suggests more smiling?
The next study was conducted by Dr. Hanna Poikonen from the University of Helsinki. She conducted a neurological study that compared dancers’ brain functionality and responses to music in comparison to an average person who doesn’t dance, and musicians. A lot of her findings go deep into neuroscience which is heavy on scientific jargon. If you’re interested in reading the full study you can find it here. One critical finding was that dancers displayed stronger synchronization at the low theta frequency. Theta synchronization is linked to emotion and memory processes, which are central to all interpersonal interaction and self-understanding. Basically, this means that those who dance have more developed abilities for memory recall, to process emotions, and make meaning of themselves and their feelings. I want to acknowledge that the study was done with professional dancers, but Poikonen concludes her study stating that based on a growing body of empirical evidence, dance-based movement can be used as a holistic treatment for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, dementia, autism, and mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Even though each study’s participants varied drastically on their dance abilities, the findings are similar—overall improved memory recall, increased socialization, and better control over moods and emotions. The reason I used studies that reflected such different levels of ability is so that you can’t give me the line “Well I can’t dance!” Okay sure, you might not be a professional dancer on Broadway, but that doesn’t mean you can’t unlock the joy and benefits that dance can bring.
So let’s talk a little about how dance accomplishes what it does. Active movement helps energize and strengthen our bodies while giving us a way to release tension and stress physically. We frequently hear how physical exercise can boost dopamine and endorphins, which are two chemicals in the brain that contribute to feelings of enjoyment and happiness. Dance introduces the additional element of “flow”. This is like a physical form of meditation where your body and mind are in sync, hearing the music and moving your body along in whatever rhythm feels best. The “flow” element is what some scientists believe contribute to the memory benefits that dance can have on people of all ages. It builds the communication between our brain and physical movements, allowing us to be present and actively strengthening our mental focus and physical abilities. When we focus on the music linked with our movement, our brain isn’t occupied by the usual stress, worries, distractions, or fears that are commonly experienced if you struggle with depression and/or anxiety. Dancing helps alleviate some symptoms by creating a space to feel strong and present in the moment. There is a soothing, healing quality in just letting that body move!
Regardless of how it looks, moving your body and releasing the emotions physically can feel cathartic. This emotional release has been found to help with depression especially. It can be hard to verbalize how we are feeling, but oftentimes what we can’t say our body still feels and knows how to let it out. Overtime, connecting our body with healing movement can build our confidence and self-esteem, which can help alleviate social anxiety. Dance gives us a liberating and empowering space to explore and release our feelings, feel strong, and even joyful (especially if the song hits just right). If you decide to learn a dance routine, you will find yourself listening to the same song on repeat to pick up the musicality, or specific parts of a song that inform the individual moves. This can mean finding a beautiful, previously hidden melody in a beloved song, or finding new music altogether that makes you want to dance! Poikenon’s study suggested that dancers are able to recognize and follow music similar to how a professional musician does because of how close the dancers become to the music. We know how healing music can be, and dance provides another way to connect with it on a physical and emotional level.
The other powerful piece that dance provides is that of community. Dance can be a way to learn about new cultures and meet new people. When we dance together, the room becomes unified and electric. Even if you aren’t necessarily talking to others, dancing together can be a way to bond. There’s a chemical in our brain called oxytocin, or “the love chemical”. This works like a natural anti-depressant and allows us to feel connected and in sync with others. Similarly, feeling connected with others can often help alleviate symptoms of social anxiety. With support and motivation from fellow dancers and friends, this also helps to increase self-esteem and confidence. There’s no doubt that dance works as a unifying activity across the world. You can learn well-known Bollywood dances or learn to belly dance, which has been a foundational piece of Middle Eastern culture since the 11th century BC. There’s historic Irish dancing, traditional ballroom dancing, line dancing, vogueing, salsa dancing, and so much more. Whether you want to learn about your own heritage, deepen your interest in a culture, or tackle something new and different, there’s probably a type of dance that aligns.
I’m here to tell you that dance is good for us, no matter your ability. If a dance class doesn’t feel comfortable for you yet, that’s alright! Try it out in your living room, in your bedroom, or with a friend. The only thing you need to dance is comfy shoes, water, a good playlist, and an open mind. It is so common in our American culture to put tremendous pressure on ourselves to be good at the thing, even if we’ve never tried it before. But we’ve already established we aren’t going to be professional dancers, and that’s okay! I invite you to abandon this idea of being “the best” at everything you do and instead, reward yourself for simply showing up. In this post, I listed 5 ways that dance uplifts our mind, body, and spirit. What’s cool is that being good at dance is not a requirement to reap all the remarkable health benefits it has on our memory, our emotional regulation, and our happiness. You’ve heard all the reasons why you should do it, so now go on! Put on some sneakers, turn the music up so you can feel it in your bones, and move your body however you want. Your mind and body will thank you.
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Cady Hadesman (she/her) is a Licensed Master of Social Work at Reset Brain and Body