Publications

Discover the growing body of scientific research and peer-reviewed studies that illuminate how Dancing Meditation supports holistic well-being. Delve into the evidence behind this transformative practice and explore its measurable benefits for physical, mental, and social health.

2024

1. Exploring Dance for Holistic Wellbeing

Why Dance? An Introduction to Dancing for Health and Wellbeing

2. Systematic Review of Dance’s Physical and Mental Health Benefits

Impact of Dancing on Physical and Mental Health: A Systematic Literature Review

3. Creative Dance as a Catalyst for Enhancing Creative Potential

The Exploration of the Holistic and Complex Impacts of Creative Dance on Creative Potential Enhancement

4. Online Dance Programs for Adolescent Social and Emotional Growth

Benefits of an online group dance program for adolescents’ social bonding and wellbeing

5. Early Childhood Dance and Social Development

Dancing program and young children’s social development

2023

1. Online Dance Interventions During Social Isolation

Acutely enhancing affective state and social connection following an online dance intervention during the COVID-19 social isolation crisis

2. Dance Participation and Psychological Wellbeing in Adults

Dance and Psychological Health: Effect of Dance Participation on Social Development

2022

Systematic Review of Dance for Children and Adolescents

The Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Dance and its Effects on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

2021

1. Dance’s Aesthetic and Artistic Contributions to Health Over the Lifespan

The aesthetic, artistic and creative contributions of dance for health and wellbeing across the lifecourse: a systematic review

2. Conscious Dance and Its Positive Psychological Impact

Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants

2020

1. Dance/Movement Therapy as a Holistic Mental Health Treatment

Dance/Movement as a Holistic treatment

2. Meditative Movements for Older Adults’ Quality of Life

Effects of Mind-Body Interventions Involving Meditative Movements on Quality of Life, Depressive Symptoms, Fear of Falling and Sleep Quality in Older Adults

3. Mindfulness Interventions for Spinal Cord Injury

Mindfulness for pain, depression, anxiety, and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review

4. Freeform Dance for Ecstatic States of Consciousness

The innate human potential of elevated and ecstatic states of consciousness: Examining freeform dance as a means of access

5. Dance Fitness Classes and Health-Related Quality of Life

Dance Fitness Classes Improve the Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Women

6. Music, Dance, and Collective Movement Cues

Signals through music and dance: Perceived social bonds and formidability on collective movement

2019

1. Updated Meta-Analysis on Dance Movement Therapy

Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis Update

2. Dance Movement Therapy for Adults With Depression

Effectiveness of Dance Movement Therapy in the Treatment of Adults With Depression: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses

3. Physical Activity’s Link to Immunity

The Compelling Link Between Physical Activity and the Body’s Defense System

4. Nature Exposure and Health Outcomes

Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing

5. Oxytocin’s Role in Synchronized Dance Movements

The oxytocinergic system mediates synchronized interpersonal movement during dance

6. Recreational Dance and Social Skills in Children

The Effect of Participating in Recreational Dance Activities on the Social Skills of 10 to 12-Year-Old Children

2018

1. The Holistic View of Dance and Health Partnerships

Tomorrow’s dance and health partnership: the need for a holistic view

2. Dance Interventions and Self-Perception

Effects of dance interventions on aspects of the participants’ self: a systematic review

3. Mindful Movement Reducing Momentary Stress

Frontiers in Psychology (2018) study highlighting mindfulness through movement’s impact on stress reduction

4. Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis of Dance vs. Other Physical Activities

The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Physical Health Outcomes Compared to Other Forms of Physical Activity

2017

Dance Programs and Neuroplasticity in Seniors

Dancing or Fitness Sport? The Effects of Two Training Programs on Hippocampal Plasticity and Balance Abilities in Healthy Seniors

2016

1. Holistic Dance for Veterans With PTSD

Let’s Dance: A Holistic Approach to Treating Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2. Dancing and Lower Cardiovascular Mortality

Dancing Participation and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Population-Based British Cohorts

3. Mindfulness Meditation for Emotion and Addiction

Mindfulness Meditation Improves Emotion Regulation and Reduces Drug Abuse

4. Synchronized Dancing and Pain Thresholds

Silent disco: dancing in synchrony leads to elevated pain thresholds and social closeness

2015

1. Dance/Movement Therapy in Cancer Care

Dance/movement therapy for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients

2. Dance Programs for Older Adults: A Literature Review

The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions to Improve Older Adults’ Health: A Systematic Literature Review

3. How Dance Affects the Brain

Dance and the Brain: A Review

4. Synchrony and Social Bonding Through Dance

Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding

2014

1. Music-Evoked Emotions in the Brain

Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions

2. Dance’s Effects on Depression in Underserved Adults

Effects of dance on depression, physical function, and disability in underserved adults

(Duplicate listed as originally provided.)

3. Opioid System and Dance Social Bonding (PhD)

Dance and Social Bonding: Synchrony and the Endogenous Opioid System

2013

1. Ballet for Parkinson’s Disease: A Mixed-Methods Study

A mixed-methods study into ballet for people living with Parkinson’s

2. Six-Month Dance Intervention in the Elderly

Six months of dance intervention enhances postural, sensorimotor, and cognitive performance in elderly without affecting cardio-respiratory functions

2012

The Psychology of the Groove

Sensorimotor coupling in music and the psychology of the groove

2011

1. Home Health Benefits of Dance

The Health Benefits of Dance

2. Emotional Responses to Tango Argentino

Emotional and Neurohumoral Responses to Dancing Tango Argentino: The Effects of Music and Partner

3. Outdoor Exercise vs. Indoor Exercise

Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review

2010

The Perceived Benefits of Dancing on Well-Being

Shall we dance? An exploration of the perceived benefits of dancing on well-being

2009

Physical Benefits of Dancing for Older Adults

Physical benefits of dancing for healthy older adults: a review

2007

Short-Term Meditation and Self-Regulation

Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation

2006

Stress Prevention Through Dance

Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress

2005

1. Dance Training and Balance in Older Adults

Does dance-based training improve balance in adult and young old subjects? A pilot randomized controlled trial

2. Infants’ Rhythm Perception Affected by Movement

Feeling the beat: movement influences infant rhythm perception

2003

Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk

Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly

2001

Music, Reward, and Emotional Brain Activity

Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion

2000

Young Dancers’ Experiences of the “Superordinary”

“I Feel Like I’m Going to Take Off!”: Young People’s Experiences of the Superordinary in Dance

###

Colin, N., & Stamp, K. (2024). Why Dance? An Introduction to Dancing for Health and Wellbeing. In Dancing (pp. 1-11). Emerald Publishing Limited. (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-83753-912-320241002/full/html)
Chen, Y., Wang, S., Senanu Ametefe, D., & John, D. (2024). Impact of Dancing on Physical and Mental Health: A Systematic Literature Review. Dance Research, 42(2), 220-256. (https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/drs.2024.0432)
Fortin, S. (2018). Tomorrow’s dance and health partnership: the need for a holistic view. Research in dance education, 19(2), 152-166. (https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/drs.2024.0432)
Schwender, T. M., Spengler, S., Oedl, C., & Mess, F. (2018). Effects of dance interventions on aspects of the participants’ self: a systematic review. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1130. (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01130/full)
Murcia, Cynthia & Kreutz, Gunter & Clift, Stephen & Bongard, Stephan. (2010). Shall we dance? An exploration of the perceived benefits of dancing on well-being. Arts & Health. 2. 149-163. 10.1080/17533010903488582. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233448438_Shall_we_dance_An_exploration_of_the_perceived_benefits_of_dancing_on_well-being)
Alpert PT. The Health Benefits of Dance. Home Health Care Management & Practice. 2011;23(2):155-157. doi:10.1177/1084822310384689 (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1084822310384689)
Tao, D., Gao, Y., Cole, A., Baker, J. S., Gu, Y., Supriya, R., Tong, T. K., Hu, Q., & Awan-Scully, R. (2022). The Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Dance and its Effects on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in physiology, 13, 925958. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.925958
Karpati, F. J., Giacosa, C., Foster, N. E., Penhune, V. B., & Hyde, K. L. (2015). Dance and the brain: a review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1337, 140–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12632
Nieman, D. C., & Wentz, L. M. (2019). The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of sport and health science, 8(3), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009
Chappell, K., Redding, E., Crickmay, U., Stancliffe, R., Jobbins, V., & Smith, S. (2021). The aesthetic, artistic and creative contributions of dance for health and wellbeing across the lifecourse: a systematic review. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 16(1), 1950891 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17482631.2021.1950891)
Richard, V., Brown, D. M., Garcías, S., Almarcha, M., Cairney, J., & Torrents, C. (2024). The Exploration of the Holistic and Complex Impacts of Creative Dance on Creative Potential Enhancement. The Journal of Creative Behavior. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jocb.673)
Quiroga Murcia, J. A., et al. “Emotional and Neurohumoral Responses to Dancing Tango Argentino: The Effects of Music and Partner.” Music and Medicine 3, no. 1 (2011): 14–21.
(https://mmd.iammonline.com/index.php/musmed/article/view/MMD-2009-1-1-3)
Hanna, J. L. (2006). Dancing for health: Conquering and preventing stress. Rowman Altamira. (https://books.google.com/books?id=HWVZFwZ9oGcC&lpg=PP1&ots=RbKO4aQ5TC&dq=holistic%20health%20and%20dance&lr&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=holistic%20health%20and%20dance&f=false)
Frontiers in Psychology (2018) study highlighting mindfulness through movement’s impact on stress reduction.
(https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/momentary-negative-affect-is-lower-during-mindful-movement-than-w)
Whitehouse, M. S. (2020). Dance/Movement as a Holistic treatment. Holistic Treatment in Mental Health: A Handbook of Practitioners’ Perspectives. (https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=fnb8DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT69&dq=holistic+health+and+dance&ots=8HwtzWJfox&sig=KusRSI5b5ESzVVBf5N_0sOaYOI8#v=onepage&q=holistic%20health%20and%20dance&f=false)
Koch SC, Riege RFF, Tisborn K, Biondo J, Martin L, Beelmann A. Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes. A Meta-Analysis Update. Front Psychol. 2019;10:1806. Published 2019 Aug 20. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01806
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31481910/)
Weber, M., Schnorr, T., Morat, M., Morat, T., & Donath, L. (2020). Effects of Mind-Body Interventions Involving Meditative Movements on Quality of Life, Depressive Symptoms, Fear of Falling and Sleep Quality in Older Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(18), 6556. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186556
Bradt, J., Shim, M., & Goodill, S. W. (2015). Dance/movement therapy for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 1(1), CD007103. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007103.pub3
Hearn, J. H., & Cross, A. (2020). Mindfulness for pain, depression, anxiety, and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review. BMC neurology, 20(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-020-1619-5
Karkou, V., Aithal, S., Zubala, A., & Meekums, B. (2019). Effectiveness of Dance Movement Therapy in the Treatment of Adults With Depression: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 936. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00936
Murrock, C. J., & Graor, C. H. (2014). Effects of dance on depression, physical function, and disability in underserved adults. Journal of aging and physical activity, 22(3), 380–385. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2013-0003
Steinberg-Oren, S. L., Krasnova, M., Krasnov, I. S., Baker, M. R., & Ames, D. (2016). Let’s Dance: A Holistic Approach to Treating Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Federal Practitioner, 33(7), 44-49. (https://www.mdedge.com/fedprac/article/110095/mental-health/lets-dance-holistic-approach-treating-veterans-posttraumatic)
Fasullo, Lisa & Hernandez, Alina & Bodeker, Gerard. (2020). The innate human potential of elevated and ecstatic states of consciousness: Examining freeform dance as a means of access. Dance, Movement & Spiritualities. 6. 87-117. 10.1386/dmas_00005_1. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343337623_The_innate_human_potential_of_elevated_and_ecstatic_states_of_consciousness_Examining_freeform_dance_as_a_means_of_access)
Verghese, J., Lipton, R. B., Katz, M. J., Hall, C. B., Derby, C. A., Kuslansky, G., Ambrose, A. F., Sliwinski, M., & Buschke, H. (2003). Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. The New England journal of medicine, 348(25), 2508–2516. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa022252
Rehfeld, K., Müller, P., Aye, N., Schmicker, M., Dordevic, M., Kaufmann, J., Hökelmann, A., & Müller, N. G. (2017). Dancing or Fitness Sport? The Effects of Two Training Programs on Hippocampal Plasticity and Balance Abilities in Healthy Seniors. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 11, 305. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00305
Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., Holt, S., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R. (2013). Six months of dance intervention enhances postural, sensorimotor, and cognitive performance in elderly without affecting cardio-respiratory functions. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 5, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2013.00005
Laird, K. T., Vergeer, I., Hennelly, S. E., & Siddarth, P. (2021). Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 44, 101440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101440
Tang, Y. Y., Ma, Y., Wang, J., Fan, Y., Feng, S., Lu, Q., Yu, Q., Sui, D., Rothbart, M. K., Fan, M., & Posner, M. I. (2007). Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(43), 17152–17156. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0707678104
Tang, Y. Y., Tang, R., & Posner, M. I. (2016). Mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation and reduces drug abuse. Drug and alcohol dependence, 163 Suppl 1, S13–S18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.11.041
Merom, D., Ding, D., & Stamatakis, E. (2016). Dancing Participation and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Population-Based British Cohorts. American journal of preventive medicine, 50(6), 756–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2016.01.004
Hwang, P. W., & Braun, K. L. (2015). The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions to Improve Older Adults’ Health: A Systematic Literature Review. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 21(5), 64–70. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5491389/
Murrock, C. J., & Graor, C. H. (2014). Effects of dance on depression, physical function, and disability in underserved adults. Journal of aging and physical activity, 22(3), 380–385. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2013-0003
Federici, A., Bellagamba, S., & Rocchi, M. B. (2005). Does dance-based training improve balance in adult and young old subjects? A pilot randomized controlled trial. Aging clinical and experimental research, 17(5), 385–389. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324627
Fong Yan, A., Cobley, S., Chan, C., Pappas, E., Nicholson, L. L., Ward, R. E., Murdoch, R. E., Gu, Y., Trevor, B. L., Vassallo, A. J., Wewege, M. A., & Hiller, C. E. (2018). The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Physical Health Outcomes Compared to Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 48(4), 933–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0853-5
Keogh, J. W., Kilding, A., Pidgeon, P., Ashley, L., & Gillis, D. (2009). Physical benefits of dancing for healthy older adults: a review. Journal of aging and physical activity, 17(4), 479–500. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.17.4.479
Houston, S., & McGill, A. (2013). A mixed-methods study into ballet for people living with Parkinson’s. Arts & health, 5(2), 103–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2012.745580
Barranco-Ruiz, Y., Paz-Viteri, S., & Villa-González, E. (2020). Dance Fitness Classes Improve the Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Women. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 3771. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113771
Quiroga Murcia, C., Kreutz, G., Clift, S., & Bongard, S. (2010). Shall we dance? An exploration of the perceived benefits of dancing on well-being. Arts & Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice, 2(2), 149–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533010903488582
White, M. P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J., Wheeler, B. W., Hartig, T., Warber, S. L., Bone, A., Depledge, M. H., & Fleming, L. E. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific reports, 9(1), 7730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
Thompson Coon, J., Boddy, K., Stein, K., Whear, R., Barton, J., & Depledge, M. H. (2011). Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review. Environmental science & technology, 45(5), 1761–1772. https://doi.org/10.1021/es102947t
Koelsch S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 15(3), 170–180. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3666
Blood, A. J., & Zatorre, R. J. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98(20), 11818–11823. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.191355898
Janata, P., Tomic, S. T., & Haberman, J. M. (2012). Sensorimotor coupling in music and the psychology of the groove. Journal of experimental psychology. General, 141(1), 54–75. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024208
Phillips-Silver, J., & Trainor, L. J. (2005). Feeling the beat: movement influences infant rhythm perception. Science (New York, N.Y.), 308(5727), 1430. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1110922
Tarr, B., Launay, J., & Dunbar, R. I. (2016). Silent disco: dancing in synchrony leads to elevated pain thresholds and social closeness. Evolution and human behavior : official journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, 37(5), 343–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.02.004
Bond, Karen E., and Susan W. Stinson. “‘I Feel Like I’m Going to Take Off!’: Young People’s Experiences of the Superordinary in Dance.” Dance Research Journal 32, no. 2 (2000): 52–87. https://doi.org/10.2307/1477981.
Tarr, B. 2014. “Dance and Social Bonding: Synchrony and the Endogenous Opioid System.” PhD thesis, University of Oxford. (https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a65086c0-2032-4542-9ba0-56510b9f9bf6)
Humphries, A., Tasnim, N., Rugh, R. et al. Acutely enhancing affective state and social connection following an online dance intervention during the COVID-19 social isolation crisis. BMC Psychol 11, 13 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-01034-w
Tunçgenç, B., Greig, E. J., & Cohen, E. (2024). Benefits of an online group dance program for adolescents’ social bonding and wellbeing. Journal of adolescence, 96(8), 1917–1928. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12391
Zafeiroudi, Aglaia. (2023). Dance and Psychological Health: Effect of Dance Participation on Social Development. Journal of Social Science Studies. 10. 90. 10.5296/jsss.v10i2.21414.
Kotaman, H., İnceoğlu, S. & Kotaman, Ş. Dancing program and young children’s social development. Curr Psychol 43, 19171–19179 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05730-1
Tsounis-Tzitzikas, Konstantinos & Goulimaris, Dimitris & Antoniou, Panagiotis & Yfantidou, Georgia & Bebetsos, Evangelos. (2019). The Effect of Participating in Recreational Dance Activities on the Social Skills of 10 to 12-Year-Old Children. 4. 8-20. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343678831_The_Effect_of_Participating_in_Recreational_Dance_Activities_on_the_Social_Skills_of_10_to_12-Year-Old_Children)
Tarr, B., Launay, J., Cohen, E., & Dunbar, R. (2015). Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding. Biology letters, 11(10), 20150767. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0767
Lee, H., Launay, J., & Stewart, L. (2020). Signals through music and dance: Perceived social bonds and formidability on collective movement. Acta Psychologica, 208, 103093.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691819305098)
Josef, L., Goldstein, P., Mayseless, N. et al. The oxytocinergic system mediates synchronized interpersonal movement during dance. Sci Rep 9, 1894 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37141-1