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THE MOMENT SCIENTISTS PROVED
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO DANCE TO
KENNY LOGGINS’ FOOTLOOSE
his January, a barrage of
dance-themed shows have
hit our screens. Cat
T Deeley’s back from the
US for So You Think You
Can Dance?, Davina McCall’s hosting
new reality show Got To Dance and
Emma Bunton’s joined the judges for
Dancing On Ice. Plus, the Strictly live
UK tour has started while E4 are
showing the US’s latest hit, Glee.
The cinema and the theatre have
all been dominated by dance, too. Nine
has attracted A-list names including
Penélope Cruz and Kate Hudson
while Mamma Mia! was the UK’s
highest-grossing film of 2008 and
Dirty Dancing was the fastest-selling
West End show ever.
Meanwhile, the English Amateur
Dancesport Association estimates that
there are now 4million people dancing
each week, with the biggest increase in
20 to 30-year-old couples.
Since the dawn of civilisation, dance
has been an important part of life.
In fact, dance historians struggle to
identify the first evidence of dance
as it has always been an intrinsic part
of human behaviour.
The earliest recorded dances
(discovered in the 9,000-year-old
Bhimbetka rock paintings in India)
were used to tell stories, entice the
opposite sex and pass information
from one generation to the next. In
ancient Egypt priests and priestesses
mimed significant events, and sacred
occasions at Greek shrines, such as the
games at Olympia, were inaugurated
with dancing by the temple virgins.
The Romans also impressed with a good
boogie, staging spectacular events
to prove their prosperity.
Over the years, dance has evolved
to fit the mood of society. During
World War One, in came international
influences, such as the South American
tango, African and Caribbean rhythms,
and Irish clog dances (which grew into
the more dazzling tap dancing at the
end of the 19th century in the US).
Modern dance became more
complicated, epitomised by Fred
HAPPY FEET
Forget Prozac, doughnut binges and
sex; dancing delivers a cocktail of feelgood
endorphins, aids communication
and is even used to treat illness.
No wonder we’ve all got dance fever
WORDS: KATE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY: PHIL POYNTER
Astaire. Dance never stops moving
(so to speak) and has continued to
evolve from the war-time named
jitterbug and disco, to break-dancing,
and the more recent trends of
krumping (freestyle street dancing) and
j-setting (as seen in Beyoncé’s awardwinning
Single Ladies video).
Better than Prozac?
But why has dance – something which
can make someone look utterly
ridiculous if done wrong – always
seemed to be as natural as our DNA?
Experts argue its psychological and
physiological benefits are the cause.
Numerous studies have discovered
dancing is not only an effective form
of communication but is also a moodboosting
cure that can alleviate
depression, save relationships and
even cure illnesses.
A recent survey by the University of
Derby studied nine patients with clinical
depression who, following a nine-week
salsa course, all showed a huge
improvement. Dance therapy has been
used to treat Parkinson’s disease,
autism, anorexia and post-traumatic
stress. Dance therapists believe that
emotional and physical ailments often
represent themselves in the body as
muscle tension, which a good jazz-hands
can release. But why does it work?
Dr Peter Lovatt, psychologist at
the University of Hertfordshire says,
“Physically, dancing makes us happy
because, as with any repetitive exercise,
it releases endorphins. Also, it’s
a socialising event, enabling us to
be physically close to people and
more emotionally connected to our
partners and an important form
of non-verbal communication.”
US clinical psychologist and
psychotherapist Dr Michael G Conner
explains that we dance because, “we’re
far more physical and emotional than
intellectual in life. We need to know
each other, not in a sexual or verbal
way. So it’s an instinctive need, not
just entertainment.”
Helen Jardine, 40, from
Manchester agrees. She says, “As
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