Benefits of Dance and Creative Movement

Dancing is one of the oldest and most popular forms of exercise. Dance, by its very
nature, is inclusive. It belongs to everybody and may appeal to young people who cannot
engage in, or do not enjoy, traditional team games. Several forms of dancing are considered
aerobic since they entail about an hour of “continues exercise, choreographed to music” (Fine
1981). Dance and creative movement is taught as part of physical education (PE). This highlights
the benefits of dance and creative movement ih physical, emotional, and also in our social and
cultural.

Intro
As Martha Graham timelessly quoted in her New York times interview, “dance is the hidden language of
the soul, of the body” (“Martha Graham Reflects on Dance”). The dance that Graham spoke of takes
many forms. Social party dancing, dancing cultures, experiencing a live dance performance, and
participating in a hip-hop were a few examples of dance art. Through dance, people spoke to convey
emotions and narrated stories with their bodies that may not have been communicated verbally.
Dancers and audience members alike could move, feel, and think however they were inspired. As we
alluded, perhaps this was the key to the bountiful benefits of dance: without restrictions and limitations,
truly feeling, experiencing, and embodying the art of dance. Dance took over the body and became a
cathartic humanizing experience. It was imperative, particularly for the future of children, that society
understood the physical, mental, and emotional, social, and cultural benefits of dance and creative
movement on a personal and individual level.
One vital purpose of this study was to support the improvement of emotional and physical health in
youth through the art of dance. In order to experience all that dance offered, people had to first dance
for themselves in order to embody the power elicited by dance.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this research study was to assess improvements in mental and emotional health in
young adults as a result of participating in dance. Mental and emotional benefits were the focus of this
study because the physical benefits of dance are more universally accepted than the lesser-researched
benefits of mental and emotional health. The athleticism involved in a typical dance class surpassed any
other dance experience. Dance students regularly have benefitted from cardiovascular fitness, strength
training, stretching, improving fine and gross motor skills, rhythm, balance, and coordination. All the
physical benefits of dance elicited mental and emotional responses, which are also beneficial. Moreover,
dancing in an educational setting is a far different experience compared to experiencing dance in social
settings.