Cultural Dance and Health

Abstract

Physical activity has many physical and mental health outcomes. However, physical inactivity continues to be common. Dance, specifically cultural dance, is a type of physical activity that may appeal to some who are not otherwise active and may he a form of activity that is more acceptable than others in certain cultures. The purpose of this paper is to summarize literature describing the health benefits of cultural dance. Several databases were searched to identify articles published within the last 15 years, describing physical and mental health outcomes of cultural dance or interventions that incorporated cultural dance. In the seven articles reviewed there is evidence to support the use of cultural dance for preventing excessive weight gain and cardiac risk, reducing stress, and increasing life satisfaction. Cultural dance is a practical form of physical activity to promote physical and mental health among subgroups of populations that often have lower amounts of participation in physical activity. There is a need for additional research to isolate how and in what ways cultural dance can be offered to promote physical activity. Practitioners should consider nontraditional forms of physical activity, offered in partnership with community organizations.