Dancing as therapy or why dancing is a better treatment than a bottle, an antidepressant or a psychotherapist. Why do people dance? Why don't people dance? How to find out what the dance is about

The answer to why we dance - and even why some people are better at it than others - can be found in the theory of evolution. A study published in 2006 found that the ability to dance is actually linked to a survival mechanism. For our prehistoric ancestors, dancing was a way to bond and communicate, especially during difficult times. Moreover, scientists believe that those people who had good coordination and a sense of rhythm may have had an evolutionary advantage.

According to Stephen J. Mithen, an archaeologist at the British University of Reading, our ancestors learned to use dance to attract an ally or helper as much as one and a half million years ago.

Also, judging by recent research, anthropologists and evolutionary biologists agree that the nature of dance lies in the mechanism of imitation. By imitation, young children, for example, learn to speak and perform the same actions as adults. At the same time, the experience of repetition strengthens the connection between the perception of oneself and other people doing the same thing. Using a similar model, we learn to dance, that is, we do not so much intuitively contract our muscles to the beat of music, but reproduce the motor trajectories that we observe.

Some researchers believe that behavioral imitation is explained by specific neural structures, while other experts argue that the answer lies in the cognitive mechanisms of general learning and motor control of the body. By the way, an analysis of brain activity carried out using magnetic emission tomography revealed an interesting connection.

When dancing and when imitating someone else's actions, the same neural circuits operate, originating in the same areas of the brain - in the primary motor cortex, occipital and temporal lobes.

This observation continues to be supported by studies of special cells - mirror neurons, located in the cerebral cortex. Mirror neurons were only discovered in the 1990s, and much remains to be learned about their functional role. But it is absolutely known that these cells are activated when performing a specific action and observing how someone performs the same action. In addition, mirror neurons fire especially strongly when a person learns something or shows empathy. Therefore, the discovery of increased activity of these cells in professional dancers is not surprising.

It is worth adding here that the biology of dance is much more complex. A comprehensive study published in Scientific American notes that coordinated movements performed to music stimulate the pleasure center of the brain. Moreover, the activation of this part of the brain and the increased production of the hormone dopamine occur largely due to music, and not movements. That is, the pleasant sensations that arise when listening to a melody and its rhythm are enhanced if you don’t just listen to the music, but move in time with it. Take, for example, the Brazilian traditional art of capoeira. This is both a dance and a martial art. Capoeira masters explain that the transformation of martial techniques into dance movements to music is no coincidence - it is the pleasure received from music and choreography that allows you to skillfully carry out martial practices.

By the way, in addition to physiology, genetic patterns are also involved in the matter of the dance essence. Interesting data was obtained by Israeli scientists who examined the DNA of a group of dancers and people unfamiliar with choreography. As a result, geneticists discovered an interesting fact. Dancers have two distinct genes associated with their predisposition to be good social communicators - much of this has to do with the production of the hormone vasopressin. In addition, dancers were found to have higher levels of another hormone, serotonin, which is known to influence feelings of joy and happiness.

Those of you who love to spend time on the dance floor will probably be surprised to know that such an activity has benefits not only for your physical fitness, but also for your brain. Dancing is more than just having a good time with friends or a loved one. They have an amazing ability to improve brain function. Let's look at five amazing things that dancing can do for your brain.

Neuroplasticity

The New York Medical College conducted a study for 21 years in which people over 75 years of age took part. The researchers measured brain aging by monitoring the rate of dementia. The purpose of the study was to find out whether any type of physical or cognitive activity could have an effect on the brain.

The study found that some cognitive activities affect the mind, but physical activity had little to no effect. The only exception was dancing. Here are some research results:

• reading - reducing the risk of dementia by 35%;
• cycling and swimming - no risk reduction;
• solving crossword puzzles four times a week - the risk of developing dementia is reduced by 47%;
• playing golf has no effect on the development of dementia;
• Frequent dancing classes reduce the risk by 76%.

People who dance regularly have greater cognitive reserves and increased complexity of neural synapses. Dancing reduces the risk of dementia by improving these neural qualities. They force the brain to constantly “repair” neural pathways, thereby promoting neuroplasticity.

You get smarter

What is meant by intelligence? If your response to a given situation is automatic, then it is generally accepted that intelligence is involved in this process. When the brain evaluates different answer options and consciously chooses one, then such a process is also considered reasonable. Jean Piaget noted that we use intelligence when we no longer know what to do.

Simply put, the essence of intelligence is decision making. To improve your mental abilities, you need to engage yourself in activities that require a split second to make the right decision. Dancing is an example of a constantly changing activity that requires quick decision making. You need to instantly understand which way to turn, how fast to move and how to react to your partner's movements. Dancing is a great way to maintain and improve your intelligence.

Improves muscle memory

Dancers can learn complex movements more easily if they use the "marking" method - slowly learning all the movements and coordinating them. This “marking” reduces the conflict between cognitive and physical aspects when learning a dance, so dancers are able to remember and repeat all the movements much better. Evidence of this was published in the Journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Scientists have found that visualizing movements and tagging helps improve muscle memory. But also this visualization and labeling mechanism used to learn dance can be applied in various fields of activity to optimize performance.

Slows down aging and improves memory

Some scientists believe that the more complex our neural synapses, the better. Therefore, you should do everything you can to create new neural connections, and dancing is a great way to do this.

As you get older, brain cells die and synapses become weaker. Many things, such as the names of new acquaintances, are more difficult to remember because there is only one neural pathway that leads you to this stored information.

But if you work on learning new things, like dance, then it helps to build different mental pathways and multiple paths. So when one neural pathway is lost due to age, you have an alternative one that can be used to access stored information and memories.

You can prevent dizziness

Have you ever wondered why ballet dancers don't get dizzy when they perform difficult pirouettes? Research shows that many years of practice and training can suppress signals from the balance organs in the inner ear, which are connected to the cerebellum.

A ballerina simply cannot afford to lose her balance or feel dizzy. Over years of training, her brain adapts to suppress these sensations. Consequently, the signal going to the areas of the brain responsible for the perception of dizziness is reduced, and this makes ballerinas more resistant to the sensations of dizziness.

If you suffer from dizziness, find time in your schedule for any type of dancing. This is a good solution to the problem. Dancing helps improve the function of your cerebellum, which in turn improves balance and relieves dizziness. You don't need to be a professional dancer to benefit from this art. Dancing at any level helps.

Instead of a conclusion

Dance is a great way to maintain and improve many of the functions of the human brain. It increases neural connections because dance integrates multiple brain functions simultaneously: rational, musical, kinetic and emotional. This increase in neural connectivity can be beneficial for your brain at any age. Start now and dance every day!

Hello! In the studio Tatyana Lyamzina. If a person dances well and moves to the beat, then it is easier for him to learn speech than a less rhythmic person, American experts have found. As RIA Novosti reports, during dance, the areas of the brain responsible for hearing and movement are perfectly synchronized. This fact was known to scientists. Now scientists from Northwestern University have analyzed the ability to adhere to rhythm and the brain's response to sounds. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted with teenagers. They were asked to listen to a metronome and press a button in time with the beat. At the same time, the accuracy of the hit was assessed. And using an electroencephalogram, they recorded how the adolescents’ brains reacted. It turned out that if the teenager pressed the button precisely in accordance with the metronome, the brain's reaction was stable in response to listening to the syllable. Experts already know that the ability to read and the ability to keep rhythm in motion are connected. And the ability to read, in turn, is associated with the nature of the brain’s reaction to sound. It turns out that hearing is the basis.

But singing in a choir will help restore your heart rhythm. People singing together have a synchronized heartbeat, either increasing or decreasing depending on how they breathe in a single mode. In addition, the functioning of the vagus nerve, which is responsible for emotions and communication with other people, is normalized. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg tested how different melodies with different tempos and keys affect the well-being of choir members. It turned out that the melody and structure of a piece of music directly affected the heartbeat, which changed at the same time for everyone. The greatest synchronization was achieved when chanting mantras; songs with long phrases acted in the same way as yogi breathing exercises. Measured and calm breathing had a positive effect on the mental state and heart function.

Of course, music is no substitute for medicine. But doctors at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London have started a singing program for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These patients are limited by how much air they can inhale and exhale. Some people start breathing very quickly, which makes the problem even worse. They take a lot of quick, shallow breaths, and this makes their breathing even more difficult. Singing lessons teach them to control the speed of breathing. The breathing techniques used for singing are more helpful for people with mild problems. If a person has serious illnesses, it will be quite difficult to sing. Of course, the songs should be quite simple.

But women should definitely have time to parent a child before the age of 35, say reproductive specialists at Newcastle University. According to them, women should not hide behind a career, postponing motherhood, because over the years, work does not become easier. However, more and more modern families are delaying having children. Almost 50% of children are now born to women 30 years of age and older. The number of children born into such families has tripled in recent years. After 35 years of age, the chances of conceiving a child are significantly reduced. And IVF does not guarantee the birth of a child. If a woman fails to have a child before the age of 40-50, she will face psychological trauma, psychologists note. And even if conception does occur, women in the older age group face a large number of complications during the pregnancy itself. In particular, the risk of miscarriages, premature births, or underweight children increases. Stillbirth is more than twice as common among mothers over 35 years of age. But the degradation of eggs that occurs over time increases the risk of having a child with Down syndrome and other genetic disorders. Women themselves often subsequently face arthritis, depression, cancer, and heart attacks. Therefore, family planning should include not only issues of contraception, but also issues of childbirth, doctors emphasize. Be healthy!

Remember the last time you danced. Where was it? At a disco club? At a tango or other dance lesson? On the street or at home? Remember how you felt? Constraint or freedom? Work or fun?

Unfortunately, over the millennia, our civilization has pushed aside the natural desire of a person to dance (after all, dancing was a sacred and important action of any tribe) and elevated it to the status of an extraordinary desire, they say, it is given only to certain people who become dancers. Dancing from an ordinary everyday ritual, such as eating, talking or washing, has turned into a profession that needs to be learned, and not everyone can master it.

Well, it’s really wonderful that those who, as they say, have talent, can entertain us with their beautiful dances, but it’s bad that we no longer dance in the kitchen, although this could help not quarrel with my husband, forget about headaches and problems “feminine”

How dancing changes your life

Dancing changed my life since childhood, I’m a bad example - I’m part of that group of people who wanted to and went and learned. But it was professional dancing from childhood and coaching that later gave me the opportunity to observe how dancing changes people.

There is a most primitive level– self-confidence. So I didn’t know how to do anything and learned, and if others appreciated it, gave me a prize, or girls/boys began to love me, then I definitely rose a step above myself and my confidence increased. I became cool. This is a simple mechanism that works very easily with the help of dance, at any age, with any degree of proficiency in the dance being studied.

As a child, it’s clear that the girl who constantly performs on stage at school will be popular. As an adult, a man who can suddenly spin you into tango (even if it’s not a pro level, just a couple of steps) will clearly attract your attention. That is, whether dancing is a profession or a hobby, it is definitely a plus for you.

This is what I observed over the years of teaching, how people who were afraid to say a word and take a step straightened their shoulders and with control of their body, some kind of strength came to them, they say, now I can say a word, I’m already worth something .

Body-soul level

But at some point I realized that dancing is not only about that. Dancing is much deeper, dancing is like therapy. If music is playing, I constantly move, transmit the music, it controls my body, this is a normal and natural process. If you put on music in a dance class, most people will stand and wait for orders, what should they do, what movements should they dance, what are we learning? This is again because they were raised that way, although if you look at small children, they start moving just when they hear music, this is natural, this is an absolutely healthy process that is embedded in us for good reason, it means that our body definitely needs and is important.

But this happens only until the parents begin to tell the child not to twitch, to “sit still,” until they show him in every possible way that dancing is only for those who are dancers; if you want to dance, go learn. So everyone stops moving to the beat of the music. And they only allow themselves to do this at discos, when under the influence of alcohol our barriers and attitudes disappear and the body begins to do what it wants!

In my classes where I taught ballroom dancing, I often turned students away from the mirror and suggested dancing for themselves, getting high, not thinking about quality, but just enjoying the fact that the body moves to the music. This is not immediately accessible to everyone, but gradually it somehow came inside - the understanding that dancing is not for the sake of praise, but for the sake of the dancing itself, for the sake of making it feel good.

Over time, I moved on and began organizing classes where people simply learned to let themselves go and transfer the music, to follow its lead. That is, we did not learn specific movements that had already been invented by other people, but tried to find what my arm/leg/thigh, etc. maybe he wants to do it now. This thing is even more difficult for public understanding; people either fall in love with it right away, because it’s really a thrill, or they are afraid to remove this barrier (alas, I don’t offer drinking in my classes). But still, there are always more of those who get high than those who leave in bewilderment.

And for more than 10 years now I have been trying to somehow convey to people around me about dancing, about its essence. And I’m not saying the most important thing - what I myself realized just recently!

One day I had a headache, it hurt a lot, but I promised myself to work out, standard fitness, planks, abs, stretching. And so I do warm-up exercises, my head still hurts, I do it and don’t understand why I’m doing them, and suddenly my legs begin to warm up something to the beat of the music, and my arms and I start dancing. At home, what's wrong? And no one sees me, but I feel good. And suddenly my head goes away, one 4-minute song was enough for the headache that had been tormenting me all day to simply evaporate.

And at that moment I realized - I have to say this, even if it deprives the clients of all dance trainers and therapists, including me - DANCE AT HOME!

It doesn’t matter where in reality, dance where you want. BUT what I mean is that you don't have to pay money and go to a dance class to dance to get that high. To learn a skill - yes, but to do well for yourself - no, you can do it at home, just turn on the music and give yourself permission.

At home it’s good, safe, at home no one will judge or appreciate it. If you feel bad, sad, angry, lonely - dance.

You can call your friends and get drunk, you can go to a psychotherapist, you can write your thoughts and feelings on paper, or you can just DANCE. And believe me, this works therapeutically much better than all of the above methods.

Don’t think about what to dance and how, just turn on the music that resonates now and close your eyes. Allow this music to enter your body and guide it where it wants to go. This is such a pleasure, comparable to sex, to meditation, to any therapy that helps you let go.

We are used to looking for help everywhere and paying for it - teach, treat, give a pill, we pay for a massage, for example, although we can massage most parts of our body ourselves, for a psychotherapist to listen to our problems, although we can write or tell them to yourself (understand and let go). Dancing as a therapy has also been known in the world for a long time - it is called dance therapy, movement therapy, authentic movement, 5 rhythms. We pay to dance, to be given music and told to relax, imagine that no one is looking at you and dance! When we can do it ourselves! At home - and no one will really look at us!

But if you start dancing at home, then you:

• – Get rid of negative emotions that haunt you
• – You explore your body: what it is capable of, which muscles are toned, which are not and will warm up in the process, develop joints.
• -You will feel freedom, which in turn leads to emancipation and sexuality.
• -Spend time with pleasure and benefit personally for YOURSELF!

I’m even sure that if there were special rooms at work where you can go and dance for 5 minutes, your productivity would be much higher! But I’ll definitely look into this!

If we conduct a test on the street with the question: “Why don’t you dance?”, then in most cases we will hear the following answers: “I don’t know how, I’m afraid or even shy.” These excuses sound ridiculous, but people are simply hiding their capabilities.

When you hear from people who once danced that they have no time or that it is inappropriate, you are simply surprised, because you see that, remembering those times, they smile and radiate joy.
Previously, learning to dance was a problem, but now everything has been done for this - dance clubs, sections, groups and even schools and institutes. They also organize festivals and flash mobs where people can learn this art.

The art of dance is multifaceted, it includes folk dances, romantic, youth, ballroom, professional, even ice dancing. But, in spite of everything, people deny themselves this pleasure. All this is just ahead - don’t be afraid, dance and you will succeed! If you listen to your body and give in to it, there will be no mistakes, but only your confident movements.

You can dance everywhere - at home, on the street, in a club, the main thing is that you feel good. Many people love to dance in the kitchen while cooking - when no one is watching, and they feel just great! You can dance out of a good mood, or because you managed to buy a refrigerator at a great price in an online store and at the same time get a great discount - for any pleasant reason.

Combined with the music you love, dance will give you great pleasure, making you feel simple and free without any problems. And as a reward, you can cook yourself a delicious dinner - after all, thanks to the refrigerator, the food is perfectly preserved for a long time.

Many people think that dancing is shameful and indecent, but if you think about it, it’s not so. Of course, many are shy or afraid, but you can try. The fact that you are not a professional dancer does not make you unable to dance, because those around you are not professionals either. In dance, the main thing is the soul and feeling of music, this charges the most and, looking at a person who completely devotes himself to music, you want to dance again and again.

Movements in dance can be different, it’s not for nothing that in some countries all feelings are expressed using the language of dance.
What is the meaning of this art?
During the dance, we express our feelings, the emotions that we experience; during the dance, everything around us does not matter, time stops. And all this is a dance that brings joy and happiness, brings peace of mind, helps to open up to people and understand them.

Don’t be shy, let dance into your life, and you will feel much more confident, your life will change, you will live joyfully and beautifully.
Many people say: “The gods danced when they created the world.” So you stick to this rule, dance and dance again, reveal your true self.