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Description of initiative
Founder of Dance for Health and responsible for its method and courses is Anna Duberg. She combines the work of disseminating Dance for Health (companies), with innovation coaching and continued research There are a total of 600 trained Dance for Health instructors across the country in about 185 locations. The central expression in this method dance is "Come as you are". Regarding implementation, you could say "Start where you are". Dance for Health was named by Dagens Medici as "Innovator of the Year in Swedish healthcare" 2019. Dance for Health was developed with the support of the Social Impact Lab at Örebro University in 2017. It was formed in the form of a company and now the focus of the business is on offering instructor courses in the method and providing support in the implementation process and follow-up. Dancing for Health's key factors (joy of movement, resources, unpretentiousness and community) has proven valuable; it is an appreciated method that has been shown to strengthen the health on several levels in many participating young people. A group of about 12 participants meets twice a week for two semesters in a venue suitable for dancing. The group works with choreographies in various dance genres but also with relaxation techniques. The cultural school can be the partner that holds the courses. A study association can also have suitable premises and a trained instructor. To lead a group in Dansa without requirements, an instructor who is trained in the method is required A close collaboration with the student health or a youth clinic makes it easier, as they are the ones who have contact with the target group and can invite and motivate them to participate.
Themes: Culture and...
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Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
The dance project is a study from the University Hospital's research center with the aim of investigating the effect of unpretentious dance for girls 13-18 years with symptoms of mental illness. A total of 112 girls with recurrent somatic and/or emotional disorders were included in the study.
The results showed that the dance group compared with the control group increased their self-rated health and decreased somatic and emotional symptoms after the end of the intervention. Health economic analysis shows cost-effectiveness - due to increased quality of life, reduced number of school nurse visits (54% in the dance group and 25% in the control group reduced number of visits), and that dance is a relatively cheap effort.
The unpretentious atmosphere and supportive community were of great value to the participants: the dance was seen as an oasis from stress, a refuge from high individual and sociocultural perceived demands. The central understanding of the girls' experiences was "experienced body-based self-confidence that opens new doors". This increased self-confidence generated joy and energy as well as a new ability to "take place" both spatially and metaphorically.
Implementation of Dance for Health rests not only on the results of the study, but also on the broad positive experience of using the method across the country. Local follow-ups show good results and several municipalities have chosen to offer the method as part of the student health offer.
Why does it work? One of the many underlying mechanisms may be the shift in focus that dance offers, going "from mind to body". Because kneading is often part of mental illness, having been caught up in negative thought patterns and anxieties, the dance's attention to movement, one's own body and music can be especially valuable. Conscious presence, but also strengthened body awareness and heart rate increase increases well-being. The feeling of social inclusion is also an important part of explanatory mechanisms