The body has psychological effects when it is in movement. Dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters are released, memory increases, heart rate increases, and more oxygen flows through the body. Dance is a special form of movement that has the benefits of exercise, but can also have a therapeutic affects. It decreases stressors and anxieties, creates a body and mind integration, increases cognitive skills, and overall allows there to be mental and emotional stability within one’s self.
The idea of creativity is also an interest in psychology. Where does it come from? Can it be developed or is it stable? How can you access it? These are all questions that are complex and we may never find the exact answers. However, tapping into one’s creative side of them can result in unpredictable, remarkable findings.
Dance has always been a type of therapy for me. By moving my own body, and creating work on others, I was able to better sort through my thoughts to find clarity. The use of dance being a therapy for me is still very prominent in my life, but I also have found new ways to connect my passions for dance and psychology together.
After being a member of the psychology world for some time now, I realize more and more how our society has not grown out of stigmatizing mental health. Mental health is now being promoted, but only to a certain extent. If you need a personal day to clear your head, society allows this. However, if you need some time to deal with mental disorders, then you have stigmas following you around. We are still taught to hide the things that make us unique if they do not fit into societal norms. This concept aggravates me and I found ways for dance to help me through it. I use dance as an advocacy platform; to show others that stigmas are hurting others and themselves. We all have things we deal with behind closed doors and it is time to stop feeling the need to pretend like they don’t exist once we step outside the door. Our psychological health and uniqueness are what make individual humans special.
Chantal Taluba 