Dancing can be fun, but also may have hidden health benefits.
Berry Dilley, an 80-year-old woman with a degree in dance, now enjoys “authentic movement.”
In authentic movement, she said the movement is not intentional or instructed movement but movement that springs from a felt sense.
Dance, in any form, has been proven to have many mental and physical benefits, helping to “train the brain” and keep it active, said Jeff Russell, director of the SHAPe Clinic.
Dilley said she’s interested in dance that comes from a deeper place inside her, and it is that movement that motivates and shapes her dance.
“If, for instance, I am feeling sad … my movement acknowledges and reflects those feelings,” Dilley said. “(After dancing) I may feel more at ease (and) more peace having given expression to those feelings.”
Dilley used an example of looking at little kids, and how they need to move, even though they aren’t instructed on how to.
For Brandi Massie, dance is more than just an art form; it’s a fun way for her to be healthy both physically and mentally.
Massie attends a modern dance class for non-dance majors on Tuesday and Thursday at Putnam Hall taught by Jon Lawson, a junior studying dance.
“I think (dance) is fun. It’s still moving the whole body, so it definitely keeps you healthy,” Massie, a senior studying psychology said. “Sometimes I feel worn out (after dancing), but usually I feel good. I think it’s healthy with both physical and mental aspects.”
According to the Every Day Health website, dancing can help with the heart, boosting memory, improving flexibility, reducing stress, diminish depression, losing weight and increasing balance and energy.
“Dance is fun, and it’s low equipment and relatively low instruction … All you need for dance is a big open room and someone who knows how to teach (dance),” Russell said.
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Brooke Hallowell, a professor in communication sciences disorders, works with the Respite Program, an in-home relief and care program for adults with disabilities. She said the Respite Program at Ohio University is not professional, so students don’t have training to do dance therapy, but some students still enjoy dancing for fun with residents.
“We have some students who do dance with their (residents),” Hallowell said. “It’s just a fun thing that happens during visits.”
She said she thinks it’s great for people especially for those living in a nursing facility situation.
Dilley said she’s noticed that movement seems to have to be structured, and we move within that structure. She said she’s not against structured movement, but it’s sad there seems to be so little support for free movement.
“Dance can be wonderful; it can be healthy. It can be invigorating; it can get your muscles and your cardiovascular system going, and it can be joyous,” Dilley said. "It depends on why one dances.”
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