The Effects of Dance on Mental Wellbeing: Psychology Group Assignment

This group assignment report for MPU3213 Introduction to Psychology examines the positive impact of dance on mental health. It begins with an introduction to dance and its connection to mental wellbeing, followed by a background on dance movement therapy (DMT) and its origins. The report highlights the reasons for choosing this topic, emphasizing the benefits of DMT for stress reduction, mood management, and the treatment of conditions like depression, anxiety, and even autism. It also details the different approaches to DMT, including the Chace, depth, developmental, systems, medical, existential/humanistic, and narrative approaches. Furthermore, the report includes a task delegation section outlining the contributions of each group member and concludes with reflections on the group project experience and references used. The report underscores dance as a powerful tool for self-expression, emotional release, and overall mental and physical health improvement, offering a new understanding of the therapeutic potential of dance.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
MPU3213 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Group Assignment - Dance and How It Can Affect Mental Health Positively
Lecturer : Mr Yip Wai Luen
Submission Date : 6th Feb 2021
Group Members : -
NO. NAME STUDENT ID
1. KERTNA A/P TACHINA MURTI 1207203005
2. FATHIMA HASNA MOHAMED FOUZ 1207203009
3. POOVENDRAN RAVINDRAN 1207202002
4. SURENDRAN A/L MAHENDRAN 1207203010

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
NO. CONTENTS PAGES
1. Acknowledgement 2
2. Introduction - Dance and Mental Health 3 - 4
3. Background - Dance and Psychology 5-6
4. Reason for choosing this topic - Dance as a form of therapy 7-9
5. Task Delegation 10-11
6. Reflection 12-15
7. References 16-17

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In undertaking the completion of our assignment, we enlisted the help and guideline of some
respected persons, who deserve our greatest gratitude. The completion of this assignment gives
us much pleasure. We would like to show our gratitude to our lecturer, Mr Yip Wai Luen for
guiding us through this assignment during numerous consultations. We would also like to expand
our deepest gratitude to all those who have guided us in writing this assignment.
Many people, especially our classmates and including our team members, have given us valuable
input on this proposal which gave us the inspiration to improve our assignment.
Finally, we must express our very profound gratitude to our parents and family for providing us
with unfailing support and continuous encouragement. This accomplishment would not have
been possible without them. We would like to thank everyone who helped us in the completion
of this assignment.
2

INTRODUCTION
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body,” as Martha Graham timelessly quoted in
her New York Times interview. The dance Graham spoke of takes many forms. A few examples
of dance art were social group dancing, meticulous professional preparation, watching a live
dance performance, and engaging in a hip-hop cypher. By dance, people talked with their bodies
to express feelings and narrated tales that could not have been verbally expressed. Though they
were empowered, dancers and audience members alike could move, feel, and think. As Graham
referred to, maybe this was the secret to the bountiful benefits of dance, genuinely feeling,
witnessing, and embodying the art of dance without constraints and limitations. Dance has taken
over the body and has become a cathartic experience of humanization
The great feeling acquired from spending time out on the dance floor is familiar to most of us.
Moving our body also does a lot to boost our mood, from weddings and holiday celebrations to
aerobic classes or even dance lessons. Behind those mood-boosting steps, it turns out that there is
a scientific explanation, and there are ways we can use dance to enhance our mental health.
There are several advantages to research-supported dance. Dance strengthens the health of your
spirit, overall strength, balance, and coordination of your muscles, and reduces depression.
Across a spectrum of ages and demographics, these advantages have been shown.
More than 100 teenage girls who were dealing with problems including depression and anxiety
were examined by Swedish researchers. Weekly dance lessons were attended by half of the girls,
while the other half did not. The findings showed that the girls who took the dance classes
strengthened their mental health and registered a mood boost. After the dance lessons finished,
these positive results lasted up to eight months. The researchers concluded that dance could lead
3

to a very positive experience for participants and potentially contribute to new lifestyle behaviors
that are maintained.
4

BACKGROUND
From the beginning of time humans have used dance as an outlet for creativity, religion and
entertainment. In recent times it has been used as a form of therapy known as ‘dance movement
therapy’ or DMT. The idea was to use a kinesthetic approach, i.e. dance, as a way for the subject
to release their pent up emotions and traumas. According to the American Dance Therapy
Association (ADTA) it serves to “therapeutically strengthen the emotional, cognitive, physical
and social integration of an individual of the individual” (ADTA, 2013).
DMT can be traced back to Marian Chace, who is considered one of its founders, who helped her
students use dance as a form of self-expression rather than just a focus on movements and
technique. Her style and approach would come to be known as the Chacian approach (Levy, as
cited in Solsvig, 2010).
Dance/movement therapists attempt to use dance to help their patients develop effective
communication skills and to build self-confidence. It helps therapists identify behavioral patterns
which in turn helps them create better coping mechanisms. As stated by the American Dance
Therapy Association (2006), dance serves as a tool for therapists to interact with, assess and
observe the patient by using therapeutic interactions and interventions.
Dance therapists have discovered that dance can be used for both psychological and physical
conditions. Dance therapy has been used to help people who suffer from various conditions such
as anxiety, depression, psychosomatic disorders and neurological impairment. It has also been
used to help children who might be suffering from trauma, developmental issues and body
image.
5

According to Weiner and Craighead (2010) there are seven approaches to dance movement
therapy, they are as follows:
I. Chace approach: the use of rhythmic movements that mirror the participant’s in order to
establish a relationship.
II. Depth approach: this is based on either Jung or Freud; it uses movement to identify the
unconscious actions/symbols made during dance.
III. Developmental approach: uses a step by step process of working through mental
blocks.
IV. Systems approach: dance is used to identify non-verbal actions in a group or family
setting.
V. Medical dance approach: used with patients who have physical conditions/illnesses
with a psychological impact.
VI. Existential/humanistic approach: examines existential issues, relationships, and other
complex subjects pertaining to the subject.
VII. Narrative approach: dance is used to express a story containing multitudes of
complex emotions nonverbally by the individual/groups.
Using a nonverbal approach to unleash one's emotions through dance has always been a form of
catharsis. By offering different methods of therapy such as DMT it can cater to people who are
less suited to other forms of therapy. The understanding of the relationship between the body and
the mind plays a vital role in healing.
6

REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS TOPIC
The reason our group chose Dance and Movement therapy is to give a new knowledge to the
audience who have no idea what this meant. As we all know, taking a walk, running, cycling,
and stretching are all ways to awaken the body, which in turn awakens our mind and spirit and
has positive results on enhancing one’s mood. Moreover, one form of movement which is dance,
is an art form that has a wide array of benefits.
Dance and movement therapy, usually referred to simply as dance therapy or DMT which is a
type of therapy that uses movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical,
and social integration. Beneficial for both physical and mental health, dance therapy can be used
for stress reduction, disease prevention, and mood management.
In addition, most of us never really know the benefits of the DMT physical component which
offers increased muscular strength, coordination, mobility, and decreased muscular tension.
From a physical perspective, dance improves muscle memory, builds heart strength, increases
body tone, muscle strength, agility, and balance.
Using the movement metaphor or props help a person emotionally to improve moods, lower
stress levels, as well as reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Whereas, DMT also
encourages creative expression, enhances cognitive skills, and allows us to be more connected
and social.
To sum up, self-confidence, self-acceptance, and self-love increase as people begin to feel more
comfortable within their own bodies and feel less self-conscious about themselves. Dance and
movement therapy can be used with all populations and with individuals, couples, families, or
7

groups. In general, dance therapy promotes self-awareness, self-esteem, and a safe space for the
expression of feelings.
It’s a new eye opening knowledge for me and my group mates by choosing this topic. There are
more knowledgeable and beneficial points that we have learned to practise. To avoid mental and
physical problems, dance and movement therapy seem to be one of the best solutions to be
practise in our life.
Besides that, according to Greta Gleissner LCSW, founder of Hope for Eating Disorder Recovery,
feelings and life experiences are residing inside the body, and they may get stuck there. The body
can be the gateway to unlocking profound healing stages.
You don't have to be a dancer to take advantage of dance movement therapy. DMT isn't a dance
class. It is a therapeutic exposure that can be used in combination with other interventions for
eating disorders to help access true, long-lasting improvements.
Getting the means to feel comfortable and understand and experience the sensations and
emotions of your condition are all part of your healing process. Dance movement therapy may
play an integral role in helping you reclaim an authentic link between your actions and your
words.
The Center for Disease Control states that one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism. Autistic
children's families spend vast amounts of money finding the best medical treatment for them.
Dance and movement therapy has started to emerge significantly because of its unique
8

characteristic of working directly with the core deficits of children with autistic disorders.
According to Professor Pramod Kerkar in ‘Benefits of Dance Movement Therapy for Autism’, it
is the “psychotherapeutic use of dance and movements to enhance communication of emotions
and behaviors and improve motor ability”. It takes place with a “credentialled therapist” and uses
the expressive and creative elements of dance and movement as a mode of assessing and
intervening. Dancing is one of the purest ways of self-expression, imagination and innovation. It
can help one's exposure from the outside as well as from the inner world and give them a sense
of liberation. The feeling of harmony between the inner and the outer self is one that can be
freely conveyed through gestures, movements and unsaid contact with self and the audience.
Mental stimulation and a feeling of freshness add a new dimension to one's mind.
9

TASK DELEGATION
1. Kertna Tachina Murti
As with most group projects, there were positive and negative sides to this one. The group
projects went really well overall. However, in the process of a group project, there is plenty to
expand on. My role in our group project was to do research on the topic and to write up my part.
Besides that, I also helped to complete the slides for the presentation. I was comfortable with this
role, as were the rest of my group members. Our entire group worked on the project together. I
really enjoy doing group projects when the entire group can work together, because it ensures
that everyone does an equal amount of work.
2. Poovendran Ravindran
By way of practical example I will reflect on a group assignment in which I recently partook.
When the group first met we discussed the assignment. At this stage we were in the forming
stage. We discussed ideas for the assignment and came up with times we could all talk. Nothing
was actually confirmed we all just aired our opinions, no real progress was made during this
stage. I do not believe we went through the storming stage as we did not argue over anything.
Finally, we came up with a topic which was Dance and Movement therapy. However we did
utilise a democratic decision making process to avoid conflict. And then, I was assigned to write
regarding the reason why my group chose this topic to be our interest. At this point we were all
in agreement and communicating effectively, we had group unity. Our group succeeds because
an essential component of effective communication is necessary.
10

3. Fathima Hasna Mohamed Fouz
Along with my teammates I took part in brainstorming ideas for this assignment before we
finally settled on Dance Movement Therapy/DMT. I was in charge of structuring the assignment
as based on the brief given to us. I assigned each of my teammates with a task that I thought was
best suited to their abilities based on their input. For my part, I was responsible for providing the
background of our assignment and the overseeing of everyone’s progress with the help of my
fellow teammate Kertna.
4. Surendran Mahendran
The project started with all group members sharing their opinions and ideas about which topic
would be suitable for us to do as a group and also implement in our own lifestyles along the way.
After deciding on Dance Movement therapy (DMT) I was assigned to find benefits of the
program alongside my partner Poovendran.We brainstormed and researched many ideas that was
used in our project. I was also tasked with concluding on why we choose DMT as our topic of
discussion.
11