We all know that getting active releases those feel-good endorphins and boosts our mood. We may be biased, but here at IDS we believe that dancing is one of the best ways to keep your mind healthy. Dancing isn’t just a great stress reliever; it can help ease anxiety by keeping you focused on the present moment and giving you an outlet for nervous energy.
Dance encourages human connection and a sense of belonging, which are critical for mental well-being. A form of creative expression, dance can be extremely therapeutic, especially for individuals who find it difficult to articulate their feelings in words. This Mental Health Awareness Day we have prepared a special interview featuring 3 lifelong dancers who share their perspectives on how dance benefits mental health–IDS employees Becca and Cat, and Hannah Louise Mills, owner of H Dance Collective. Share with your students to promote mental health and wellbeing this Mental Health Awareness Day.
How does dance make you feel, both during and after a session?
Becca: I leave all my troubles at the studio door and all I’m thinking about at that moment is dancing. Dance instantly removes the stresses of the day and releases endorphins which helps me to relax after.
Cat: During a class I feel really focused and forget everything else that’s going on. If I have life stresses or busy stuff going on I can just go into a class and focus on dancing. Afterwards I just feel really calm and I feel like I've got everything out that I needed to. Like I’ve cleansed my stress away.
Hannah: Dance is a way of expressing emotion and struggle through movement and music. Aswell as self expression - so for me dance feels free and lets me release myself and my emotions out, I then feel better afterwards
Do you notice a change in your mood or mental state after dancing? How so?
Becca: I’m a lot happier, a lot calmer and dancing allows me to just check in with myself and prevents things from getting too much.
Cat: A lot of the time before I go, I'll often be tired and have that debate of ‘should I just sit on the sofa and fall asleep?’ and as soon as I’m there I’m much more energetic and a lot happier in general.
Hannah: Yes, if I’ve had a fairly emotional or draining day, dance can help me feel lighter and less heavy afterwards.
In what ways do you feel dance helps you manage stress, anxiety, or depression?
Becca: Dancing helps because it’s a way to express myself and again releases endorphins that make you feel good. It’s also a great way to meet and share with likeminded people.
Cat: For me I’ve always loved Ballet and what’s been reassuring for me is that Ballet has a right and wrong. So if everything else is going wrong, I can go into a Ballet class and know that if I’m doing it right I’m doing it right, and I really like that conquering sort of feeling. Sometimes life can feel out of control and Ballet makes me feel focused and more in control of myself. Everything else just gets left behind and you focus on being in the moment.
Hannah: For all the reasons above, dance is a form of expression like nothing else. You don’t need your words to do it, just your body and how you’re feeling. Dance has helped me through many times of struggle with depression, anxiety or stress and will always be an outlet for me in managing my mental health.
Can you share an experience where dance helped you overcome a particularly difficult time in your life?
Becca: During my GCSEs at school a lot of my friends were quitting dancing because they said they were too busy. For me that was the opposite of what I needed. Realistically you won’t be studying 24 hours a day so those few hours in the evening where I was dancing helped to take my mind off things. Dancing was a fantastic stress management tool at the time.
Cat: In third year, I lost my Grandad. I remember coming into college and my favourite Jazz teacher who was amazing, she always did highly physical Jazz pieces. Having that physical outlet was amazing. I hadn’t really cried a lot but after her class I was really emotional. It tapped into something that I needed to get out, and I think there’s an extra level of support you get with dance teachers which is nice.
Hannah: My sister passed away unexpectedly this year at only aged 17, it was very traumatic and out of the blue as she wasn’t ill. The sadness and depression I’ve felt this year has been the most I’ve ever felt in the 34 years on this earth. And I’ve found recently I’ve been able to choreograph with these feelings and my personal experience into dance, which in turn has then helped my students.
How do you think dance impacts self-confidence and body image?
Becca: Dance helped me with self-confidence from a young age. As a child if you are working towards shows and exams, it’s helping to prepare you for real life situations such as job interviews. It always made me comfortable being uncomfortable which has helped me in my adult life. .
Cat: I think it’s noticing that your body is not something to use and abuse, it’s something that helps you do amazing things. And wanting to fuel it correctly so you are able to do the physical dancing properly. I think that’s a good positive thing for body image and I think dancing really sheds a light on that. Your body can do absolutely amazing things, if you work at it.
Hannah: I think dance can be triggering in a professional vocational dance college experience and I know myself the struggles I felt in this environment in regards to my body image. The industry can be extremely competitive and comparable between dancers and I feel this is something that for years has caused issues regarding these problems. I do however feel that in recent years, it’s more about supporting others and therefore the taboo of this seems to be lifting.
How does dance allow you to express emotions that might be difficult to verbalise?
Becca: Sometimes just going into a studio and playing some music and freestyling really helps with that. It’s a way for me to express myself. You know how sometimes in life you stomp your feet and scream out of frustration–when you’re a dancer, it’s the exact same feeling and you’re able to let that out freely.
Cat: For me it’s all about music. In previous stages of my life when there’s been difficult things for me to say and express, I like being able to pick songs that say it for you and dance it out, working through it that way. Music is absolutely the number one connection to that and really helps me.
Hannah: Because music tells a story, and therefore you can use the music and your interpretation of it helps outpour emotions you may not have been able to through words.
Do you feel more in tune with your emotions through dance? If so, how?
Becca: Dance helps me with stress management and allows me to check in with myself everyday.
Cat: You’re in tune with your emotions but you’re also more aware of how you show your emotions. I think dance helps you learn to be present and put emotions at the forefront.
Hannah: Yes because I love music and how it makes me feel.
Can dance be a form of therapy for you? How does it compare to other forms of mental health care?
Becca: For me, it’s exactly the same as reading a book. When I read a book I become instantly calm and dance does the same thing.
Cat: Yes, it gives you that focus. It gives you that outlet to work things out. It’s also great to talk about things which we don’t often talk about because you do end up having those more open conversations with your peers and your teachers. It makes you feel more comfortable and happy to share with the people you have just danced with. Dancing friendships and bonds are so important and built so strongly because you go through a lot together, which makes you feel more open and honest with them.
Hannah: 100%, dance has always helped me through very tough times in my life, it makes you vulnerable but in a very honest and supportive way (with the right dance students and teacher around you)
How has being part of a dance community or group impacted your mental health?
Becca: You pick eachother up when you’re down. In the studio you’re also there to talk about your problems, how your day went etc. It’s companionship. Most dance schools will say they’re a dance family and that’s correct. No matter your age or ability, it’s a real sense of community.
Cat: They’re always the people you can go to first. We all go through similar things and are all working towards shared goals. I think that’s a really nice experience. Especially thinking back to when I was at school, I didn’t have many friends who had such a firm goal in their minds. It really builds that for you when you are with like-minded people. My dancing friendships started when I was around 3 and they’re still some of my strongest friendships now in my 20s.
Hannah: Running my dance school during this year of my sister's loss has been one of the main things keeping me going, knowing I can channel my hurt and pain through dance in a way that can help others is what keeps me doing it. The school (my students and parents) have just been incredible in supporting me through the hardest year of my life, and knowing I can still make a difference to others in building their confidence and giving them a safe space to learn and grow is just everything.
Do you believe that the mind-body connection in dance is stronger than in other physical activities? Why or why not?
Becca: Yes because you are thinking of so many things at once and you have to be aware of what you look like doing the dance, as well as how it feels and the technicalities.
Cat: Definitely. You just become so aware of your body and aware of portraying characters and emotions. You rarely will do a dance just for the sake of doing a dance. It’s usually tapping into something; happy, sad, all kinds of realms of experiences so naturally you become way more aware of yourself than other forms of physical activity.
Hannah: I think yes, because you have to be so in tune with your body when it comes to dance, plus music is such an emotive thing it helps to make the connections.
If someone were considering dance as a way to improve their mental health, what advice would you give them?
Becca: I’d say absolutely do it! You’re not on your own. It’s an art form where you have a community. It’s a great hobby and we all know that physical exercise releases endorphins which improves your mental health.
Cat: Go and have fun! Go and enjoy it and just dance and forget about everything.
Hannah: Find yourself a safe space in a dance class or environment with the right dance teacher and I promise you it will help your mental health, even in the smallest of ways.
