Dance is a genre of performance art that consists of improvisational or pre-planned movement routines. This trend has both aesthetic and symbolic significance.
Dance can be classified and described based on its choreography, movement repertory, historical time, or location of origin.
Dance is a beautiful mix of factors that can help you connect better with emotions. It also enables you to connect with yourself and the people around you.
Through communication, empathy, and self-awareness, you’re more likely to create a better version of yourself as you inspire others with your act.
While we can’t deny the physical effects of dancing, what do you suppose the emotional benefits are?
5 Stirring Emotional Benefits of Dance
The following are some the ways dancing benefits you emotionally.
1. Dance instills a healthy sense of self-expression
Being aware of your feelings and expressing them in healthy ways is an integral part of mindfulness and mental wellbeing.
So what better way to put that ability to use than through dancing? Sense of loss, happiness, anger, fear and other emotions can all be expressed through dance.
Consider the last time you watched a dance performance and how you sensed the emotions expressed without witnessing any direct conversation. Dance is a powerful tool you can use to share deep emotional information.
The term “emotion” is derived from the Latin word “emovere,” which means “to move out or through.” So dance is a form of expression that is motivated by emotion. It’s a method of feeling something, then going through it and expressing it with others.
Learning to communicate emotion has advantages that extend beyond the dance floor. Dancing can let you grow to be emotional in healthy ways that help you connect with others more deeply.
2. Empathy is fostered through dance
According to Psychology Today, brain waves become linked when two people dance together. “Brain synchronization allows for smooth collaboration and is required for the creation of both harmonic music and dance.”
The potential to tune into another person’s brain resonance is critical for any empathetic network to flourish.”
Dancing regularly has been demonstrated to improve our ability to empathize and communicate emotion, two key parts of forming strong bonds with people.
When we communicate our feelings through dance, we become more responsive to when others do so.
Teachers and parents are adopting it as a tool to help children develop empathy early in life.
For instance, “Dancing Classrooms” is an initiative that promotes the art of dance to underserved schools. 2/3rds of LA-area school administrators noticed increased student participation after 20 classes and a regional showcase tournament. 81% of pupils also stated they had a higher respect for their classmates.
Dance often involves interpreting and expressing emotions through movement, which enhances one’s ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
Partner and group dances particularly require a level of non-verbal communication and synchronization, fostering empathy and better interpersonal communication.
A study published in the Journal of Dance Education found that dance education enhances emotional intelligence, which includes empathy and communication skills
3. Dance can help with mental health
When you’re depressed, dancing may seem like the last activity you want to engage in. However, this physical act may just be the spice you need to cheer you up.
DMT, or Dance and Movement Therapy, was designed to help with mood disorders. Due to the apparent results, it’s the only treatment option for people with mood disorders.
4. Dance boosts your mood
Dancing stimulates mood-boosting substances like endorphins and serotonin.
It improves your mental and emotional health by reducing stress, decreasing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can also help you feel more connected during moments when you’re lonely.
Research by Harvard Medical School highlights that dancing reduces stress and increases levels of serotonin, contributing to improved mood and overall mental health
5. Dance can improve social health
Your social health is an important part of your overall health and wellbeing. You connect with others at a dance class, or bond when you dance with friends, or loved ones.
In all, dancing can help boost your relationship with others, which makes it good for your social and emotional health.
What better approach to help your emotional health than to adopt dancing? It is not too soon or too late to work on emotional growth while having fun.
Dance often occurs in social settings, such as classes or social dances, which provide opportunities to connect with others.
These social interactions can reduce feelings of loneliness and improve emotional well-being by fostering a sense of community and belonging.
The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley reports that social dancing helps build social bonds and support networks, which are crucial for emotional health
