Did you know that playing helps our brain learn and retain information? It also helps to support mental health and wellness. Sounds like a win-win then, right? Read the post below to learn about the role of play in dancer mental health and ways you can bring it into the studio.
Why did you first begin dancing? Most likely because it was fun. And why do you continue dancing? Hopefully, because it is still fun. But sometimes, the work we do in the studio as both dancers and dance educators can outweigh the joy we know dance can bring.
Wouldn’t it be great to find that joy again by bringing play into the dance studio? Of course! But it turns out that bringing play into our classes does more than simply brighten the moods of our dancers, it also helps develop their brains in ways that help support their learning as well as their mental health and wellness.
According to Dr. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute of Play, when fed, rested, and safe,
all mammals break out into spontaneous play. Why is this so? Why has this trait evolved with us? Because the act of play makes us smarter and more adaptable by teaching our brains how best to respond in the world. Play can be thought of as rehearsal for life without real-world consequences. This is how our brains learn through simulation and testing boundaries in a safe space. Sounds amazing right?
So how can we utilize play in ways that can help our dancers thrive? Here are some ideas to help you lean into the role of play in dancer mental health.
1. Invite social and imaginative play into the studio. Play helps build social skills, which in turn leads to enhanced retention and recollection of knowledge. One study found the social skills of children in third grade positively predicted their academic performance years later. Playing also helps children identify and express their emotions.
Ask your dancers to perform combinations from a very specific emotional point of view. Then, see if they can all guess what each other’s emotions are. Think of it as dance charades! This not only helps them develop performance skills, but also strengthens their resilience and ability to learn.
2. Create a playful environment.
Dance is supposed to be fun, and can be the perfect way to play! And when we play, we develop our brain’s frontal cortex, (responsible for cognition) and our cerebellum (tied to things like attention, language, and rhythm). Both of these pertain to things like creativity and emotional intelligence/regulation. Dancers are more likely to let loose and engage in playful-like behavior when the environment in the studio supports this approach.
Come in with a silly hat, tell a fun joke, or start the class with a dance party to the latest bop. Showing your dancers that you engage in play is a great way for them to feel safe enough to do so. This also builds a sense of community and provides a support system for dancers with their fellow dancers. Let’s not forget that both dancing and playing reduce stress and anxiety, so this is also a huge benefit for health and well-being.
3. Encourage your dancers to engage in play outside of the studio. Time is not always on our side as dance educators. We might not always have the time to devote to “playful” activities when there are things to teach and pieces to rehearse. The good news is that playing outside of the studio can affect what happens inside the studio. Dr. Brown states that in research on the workplace, “Employees who have engaged in play throughout their lives outside of work and bring that emotion into the office are able do well at work-related tasks that at first might seem to have no connection at all to play.” The benefits of play extend to everything in our lives, so if our dancers are engaging in play in one area of their lives, it can help them in all areas, including the dance studio.
Encourage your dancers to pursue other hobbies or activities they enjoy aside from dance. It’s important for dancers to have an identity outside of the dance world, and cultivate other interests for continued growth and fulfillment.
The role of play in dancer mental health is something that we as educators should be paying close attention to. And not just for our students, but for ourselves as well. How can we bring play into teaching? Because when play supports our own mental health as dance educators, those benefits extend to our dancers as well.
Want to incorporate fun workshops into your dance studio? Schedule a Danscend mental wellness workshop today.
