Title: Shall we dance? An exploration of the perceived benefits of dancing on well-being. In: Arts & Health 2(2): 149-163.

Author(s): Cynthia Quiroga Murcia, Gunter Kreutz, Stephen Clift, Stephan Bongard

Organisation(s): Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Department of Music, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany, Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health, Canterbury Christ Church University

Categories: Arts, culture and health

Objectives: To explore the perceived benefits of dancing on well-being.

Key Findings: Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that dancing has potential positive benefits on well-being in several aspects. In particular, beneficial effects were found related to the emotional dimension, as well as physical, social and spiritual dimensions. In addition, the positive benefits were also linked to self-esteem and coping strategies.

Methods: An online survey, completed by 475 non-professional adult dancers, was carried out to evaluate participants’ perceived benefits of dancing.