Step Together: WHY DANCE?
All cultures, worldwide and across endless generations dance. All kinds of dancing. You would be hard pushed to find any culture that has not, in some form, danced. Why should that be? What is it about dancing? Just recreation isn’t it? Well no, there is a lot more to it and Fabienne Bowden, MA (Dance Movement Psychotherapist) tells us why people should dance.
"Dancing and movement is good for us – not just physically but good for our mental health too. Dancing is a form of expression. Sometimes it can be difficult to put into words how we feel. Dancing offers another avenue for expression of our emotions. Music can put us in touch with what is inside of us; our natural rhythms," says Fabienne.
Dance, as a therapy, offers non-verbal communication so anyone can join in. Psychotherapists show that dance and movement is known to support improvements in a range of areas in life:
Physical health
Expression of emotions
Creativity
Self-awareness
Reduces stress
Creates links between how we think, feel and act
Social skills by sharing experiences with others
And lastly, but probably the most important reason of all to dance – it’s fun!
Youmanity has invited Fabienne Bowden to be on the panel of judges for our Step Together photographic competition where she will use her expertise as a dance therapist to contribute to the selection of photos that most capture the mood of the dance.
