How dance impacts mental and physical health

Andrea Nedderman
Professor Gonzales
December, 2023
Research Proposal
Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

At a time when the job market was fiercely competitive, the economy was unstable, and

mental health was very sensitive since it was necessary for stability and self-assurance to excel in

both the classroom and the workplace. Because they could acquire college credits in addition to

their high school diploma at the same time, young adults were beginning their professions and

enrolling in college at an increasingly younger age. Young adults needed to be able to express

themselves effectively because of the pressures they encountered. Engaging in the transformative

power of dance was one of those moments that would change their lives and provide them with

the improved mental and emotional health they required. This thesis study demonstrated how

dance could improve young adults' mental and emotional well-being as well as their sense of

self-worth.

Dance is a universal form of expression involving rhythmic body movements performed

in a specific sequence or pattern. It encompasses a wide range of styles, techniques, and cultural

traditions, and serves various purposes such as artistic expression, social interaction, storytelling,

and ritualistic practices. The origins of dance can be traced back to ancient times, as evidenced

by cave paintings and archaeological discoveries depicting dancing figures. Dance has been an

integral part of human culture throughout history, playing a significant role in celebrations,

ceremonies, and entertainment. In the 20th century, various dance forms emerged, including

modern dance, contemporary dance, jazz, hip-hop, and many more, showcasing the dynamic

nature of this art form. Today, dance continues to thrive as a vibrant and evolving art,

representing cultural diversity and embodying the creativity and spirit of human expression.
Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

Mental health relates back to people's way of living life socially and internally. It affects

how individuals think, feel, and act, and it also influences their ability to cope with stress, make

decisions, and relate to others. Mental health is essential in most of your life. Dancing can have

both positive and negative consequences on your life. It also has benefits. The experience of

dancing includes injuries, maintaining physical fitness, and mental improvements, as it requires

extensive training. Although nobody wants to be injured, accidents do happen to dancers. You

will be able to resume your regular dancing routine as long as you take good care of it and give it

time to heal. One of the most pleasurable things to do is dance, and the most crucial aspect of

the whole experience is trying your best to maintain good physical, mental, and emotional health.

Ultimately, dancing is important to help with your mental health because it can be used as an

outlet and help keep things such as anxiety and depression at bay.

Dancing offers numerous physical benefits for teenagers, including improved

cardiovascular health, increased strength and flexibility, enhanced coordination and balance,

weight management, better bone health, improved posture, and a positive impact on mental

well-being. Encouraging teens to engage in dance activities can contribute to their overall

physical fitness and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Outside of learning in the classroom, I really enjoy dancing to an array of different

genres. I’ve been dancing for a dance school for 5 years which I currently attend 4 days a week.

We learn Hip Hop, Jazz, African, Modern and Ballet. Every June we have a recital in which I am

able to show my talents. To me, dance is joyous and brings a great deal of unity and happiness

deep in my soul. Dancing really helped me push myself to be a better me.

Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

I’ve learned to take criticism with pride which allowed me to have more confidence in

everything that I do such as putting on amazing performances and maintaining leadership roles

in/out of school.

According to a study done on seniors between the ages of 70 and 90, regular dancers had

much higher levels of intellectual energy than those who only dance rarely or never. It's feasible

that other sorts of dances can also help to boost mental health because this study used certain

dance styles to aid with brain function. Sandra Minton and Rima Faber compared the mind's

mental acrobatics to complicated dancing movements in their book Thinking with the Dancing

Brain. Dancing offers a wide range of benefits for mental health, some of which are attributed to

its complexity.

In his book Arts With The Brain In Mind, Jensen—a proponent of the arts—deftly

outlines the benefits of dance for mental health, including enhanced cognitive development,

creativity, self-concept, learning and competency, vestibular action, the capacity to follow

instructions and directions, timing and memory, and emotional expression and control (75–80).

"Most of the brain is active during physical activity," he says. Athletes that thrive in their sport

are most likely employing nearly all of their brains (72). While dancers perform their intricate

movements, the majority of the brain is at work: quick decision-making, acute attention,

emotional monitoring, recalling past alertness and potential problem recognition, generating

quick solutions, preserving balance, keeping an eye on facial expressions, moving with grace,

agility, and coordination, and remembering sequencing (Jensen, "Arts With The Brain In Mind"

73). To put it briefly, the brain functions like a flight simulator and processes a great deal of

multitasking when dancing (Jensen, "Arts With The Brain In Mind" 81).
Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

The physical benefits of dance are not the main emphasis of this study, but it is

nonetheless necessary to highlight them because dance is a physical art form that connects and

even transcends the mind and body. Improved cardiovascular health, balance, strength,

flexibility, coordination, and spatial awareness are just a few of the physical advantages of

dancing (Lindberg and Budnis par. 6-9).

Professionals claim that because dance involves motions in all planes and directions, it is

an excellent kind of physical exercises. The sagittal plane is where most everyday pedestrian

movement takes place, although dance uses the lateral and rotational planes of the body as well

(Lindberg and Budnis par. 7).

Dance can improve one's ability to move and think, as well as their mental health by

lowering stress. After taking an hour-long dancing session, college students in the study

experienced a significant drop in adrenaline levels when confronted with a stressful

circumstance. The adrenaline hormone cortisol raises blood sugar levels while lowering

immunological responses that would normally help the body fight off hazardous

microorganisms. There is a lower risk of heart disease or diabetes when this

stress-induced elevation in cortisol levels is decreased. Also By strengthening social skills

through interaction with others while you practice, dancing can help improve your emotional

health. It develops connections between people.

Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

Participants in dance research who were interested were sent to a website, which

contained all the material needed for the workshop, including registration, which filled out in an

online form over the course of two months.

Both qualitative and quantitative research were used in the study. During this research

and dance session, data were gathered using four devices. The data analysis revealed 13 research

that looked at the importance of confidence in the dance literature. These articles mostly discuss

how insecure dancers feel about their bodies, about changing careers, and about their gender

identities. However, they also offer advice on how to boost self-assurance. This means improving

independent, artistic research, expanding one's skill set outside of dance, and fostering

connections with earlier elements. In general, mental health issues including anxiety, loneliness,

tension, and fatigue were caused by a lack of mental wellness. Anxiety and food disorders are the

most commonly reported adverse consequences.

The findings revealed a variety of situational, interpersonal, and cultural pressures.

Interpersonal stressors are second most influential in the context of Western dance theater,

behind cultural stressors. The data analysis revealed that the degree to which these stressors

realized differed among the dancing genres. This was particularly clear when looking at the

cultural stressors in the evaluations. This demonstrated that, in contrast to contemporary and

modern dance, which seem more progressive in their cultivation and reflection, genres like jazz

are more focused on body image, gender identities, and the commercialization of the body.
Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

In conclusion, Your entire health can be enhanced by dancing, and it can also help your

body physically. It can also improve your quality of sleep and be an effective way to maintain

your fitness. I've made an effort to gather and put together what seem to be diverse research on

the subject of mental health and the factors that influence it in dance. Generally speaking,

dancers and students are subjected to a special variety of stressors that may make them more

vulnerable to mental disease or absence of mental health. However, both environmental and

personal factors appear to play a significant role in the process of achieving their optimal mental

health condition.
Andrea Nedderman
Eng 101
Profesor Gonzales

Bibliography

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-benefits-of-dance

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455612000998

Front. Psychol., 23 February 2023

Sec. Movement Science
Volume 14 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1090645

https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Abstract/2010/01000/Social_Partnered_Dance_for_People_With

_Serious_and.14.aspx

Martha Graham Reflects on Her Art and a Life in Dance.” Interview. New York Times 31 March

1985. archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/arts/033185graham.html.

Lindberg, Sara and Daniel Budnis, MS, NASM-CPT. “8 Benefits of Dance.” Healthline.
23 October 2019. www.healthline.com.