Dancing has been associated with healing processes and care-giving since early times, but only in recent years has there been a growing and increased interest in the systematic research of its health benefits. The contributions of dancing to individuals' wellbeing and health can be appreciated from two perspectives. On the one hand, dance can be seen as a recreational activity with potential health promoting benefits, performed by groups of people devoting part of their leisure time to this cultural practice. On the other hand, dance is used in clinical contexts as one supporting therapy...

Dancing has been associated with healing processes and care-giving since early times, but only in recent years has there been a growing and increased interest in the systematic research of its health benefits. The contributions of dancing to individuals' wellbeing and health can be appreciated from two perspectives. On the one hand, dance can be seen as a recreational activity with potential health promoting benefits, performed by groups of people devoting part of their leisure time to this cultural practice. On the other hand, dance is used in clinical contexts as one supporting therapy across a wide range of physical and mental problems. This chapter examines the available evidence basis of ascribing specific health benefits to dance. In particular, current approaches that entail clinical as well as non-clinical populations are reviewed.