Can Dance and Music Make the Transition to a Sustainable Society More Feasible?

Abstract

Transition to sustainability is a process that requires change on all levels of society from the physical to the psychological. This review takes an interdisciplinary view of the landscapes of research that contribute to the development of pro-social behaviors that align with sustainability goals, or what we call ‘inner sustainability’. Engaging in musical and dance activities can make people feel trust and connectedness, promote prosocial behavior within a group, and also reduce prejudices between groups. Sustained engagement in these art forms brings change in a matter of seconds (such as hormonal changes and associated stress relief), months (such as improved emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes), and decades (such as structural changes to the brains of musicians and dancers and superior skills in expressing and understanding emotion). In this review, we bridge the often-separate domains of the arts and sciences by presenting evidence that suggests music and dance promote self-awareness, learning, care for others and wellbeing at individual and group levels. In doing so, we argue that artistic practices have a key role to play in leading the transformations necessary for a sustainable society. We require a movement of action that provides dance and music within a constructive framework for stimulating social sustainability.

Enhancing Neuroplasticity Is Urgent: Music and Dance for the UN/WHO Decade of Action for Healthy Ageing for All

“…People are more likely to do what is fun, easy, portable, adapted to their culture, and available at low to no cost. Music and dance meet these parameters and can enhance neuroplasticity in ways that improve physical, emotional, neurocognitive, immunochemical, and social health to bring change within seconds that can endure decades potentially "stimulating social sustainability" [123]. Music and dance can be provided remotely.…”

Structured water dance intervention for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disability: Development and description of the method

“…Including dance activities in new arenas can stimulate social sustainability as well as a shift toward inner sustainable behaviors (Bojner Horwitz et al, 2022). The SWAN method was created to fulfill the need for accessible and motivating activities in health care that could engage individuals with PIMD physically, mentally, and socially.…”

“…When dance is brought into people's lives, it can benefit health-related psychological outcomes (Koch et al, 2019) and improve wellbeing (Schwender et al, 2018;Sheppard & Broughton, 2020). Dance can also enhance feelings of trust and connectedness (Bojner Horwitz et al, 2022) and, on a societal level, offer an added dimension to how we can improve physical and mental health (World Health Organization, 2019). There is, however, a need to expand dance to different target groups (Sheppard & Broughton, 2020).…”

Using Transdisciplinary Interpretative Analysis to Understand the Reactions of Preschoolers to Live Classical Music

“…Research collaborations across disciplinary boundaries are needed to deepen our knowledge of how live classical music can contribute to children's curiosity, physical security, and creativity for the coming school year. We suggest that we risk developing a generation of people who feel they are not allowed to move and who do not feel entirely at home in their bodies, who do not dare to play, who tend to sit still rather than dance and play (Bojner Horwitz et al, 2022). Therefore, we need more music and art-based controlled interventions where we follow pre-school children over a longer period.…”