Benefits of Argentine Tango
THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF ARGENTINE TANGO - A REVIEW
By Bob Murray
(dr.robert.murray1@gmail.com)
It has become accepted that dancing (and Argentine Tango in particular) are beneficial for a range of conditions including dementia, Parkinson’s Disease and even old age! I have summarised a number of papers that involve a proper scientific study of the effects of dancing.. The list is far from exhaustive and I welcome information about other studies.
Tango starts with a hug. Veronica Rue has said “If you don’t like hugging people, don’t dance Argentine tango”.
I will start this review with a consideration of hugging.
Dr Joseph Mercola writes popular articles on a range health issues. He has numerous valid qualifications and is a member of several professional bodies. His views on hugging are spelt out on his website (1) and the following is a summary:-
A consensual hug is beneficial to both parties. An optimum time is 20 seconds. Oxytocin (the “love” hormone) is an important hormone in relationships and is generated in a hug. Oxytocin lowers blood pressure and heart rate and reduces the level of cortisol, which generates stress (2).
According to psychotherapist Virginia Satir (3)
4 hugs a day are needed for survival
8 hugs a day for maintenance
12 hugs a day for growth.
Hugging can develop a bond between people and develops emotional and physical health.
However hugging a stranger or being forced into hugs by a boss is likely to be threatening and counter productive.
Ray Kelvin (founder of Ted Baker) has run into problems with staff as his hugs hugs have extended into kissing necks and ears. This emphasises that the hug has to be consensual, within bounds, so a relaxed and trusting couple can benefit.
As is often the case, children lead the way. Children of age 5 or 6 spontaneously hug each other at the end of a day at school.
Other benefits that are claimed as resulting from regular hugging are
-Cultivating patience and showing appreciation
-Activating the Solar Plexus Chakra, which stimulates your thymus gland (this may help balance your production of white blood cells). The solar plexus chakra helps you overcome fear and gives you vitality and confidence.
-Stimulating dopamine, the pleasure hormone, and serotonin for elevated mood
-Balancing out your nervous system for better parasympathetic balance
A dancer’s brain develops in a unique way
Research at the University of Helsinki (4) has found that the auditory and motor cortex of dancers develops in a unique way. In this study, the dancers’ brains reacted more quickly to changes in the music than those of musicians or members of the control group. The change is apparent in the brain as a reflex, before the dancer is even aware of it at a conscious level.
It was also found that dancers displayed stronger synchronisation at the low theta frequency brain waves. Theta synchronisation is linked to emotion and memory processes which are central to all interpersonal interaction and self-understanding.
“In dance, the basic elements of humanity combine in a natural way.”
Touch and cooperation are integral elements of dance – without them, there can be no dance. They are as important to dance as movement and music.
It is known, that in dance, the basic elements of humanity combine in a natural way. The act of dance merges the creative act, fine-tuned movement and collaboration, much like playing music. The movement involves the whole body, like in sports. There is touch, like in gentle interaction.
Dancing is also associated with “flow”, a well-researched phenomenon in which the person becomes fully immersed in an activity. Flow experiences have been found to increase the general contentment and productivity of the person as well as the quality of the activity. It reduces the activation of the neural network that is responsible for logical deduction and detailed observation. This makes room for the creative neural network which also has an important role in generating a relaxed state of mind.
Studies on producing music and movement show how during cooperation, the brains of two people become attuned to the same frequency. This is apparent in how the low-frequency brain waves of the participants become synchronised.
Brain synchronisation enables seamless cooperation, and is necessary for creating both harmonic music and movement. The ability to become attuned to another person’s brain frequency is essential for the function of any empathetic community.
Recently, researchers have gained fantastic results regarding the role of exercise as a mood enhancer. In addition to drug treatment and psychotherapy, exercise is currently being recommended as a form of treatment for depression. Exercise releases hormones creating a sense of wellbeing, that in turn boosts positive emotional processes in the brain. It also lowers the activation of the amygdala, the brain’s fear and stress centre.
Finding the right dance style can make dancers euphoric, and make them forget the drudgery of official exercise recommendations and step counters.
Dancers who pursue graceful movement must practice being aware of their bodies and wordless communication. These skills are particularly important today, when we spend so much time sitting and in virtual realities. Our way of life has taken us further from our own physical experiences and the understanding of the wordless emotional messages of others.
For example, contact improvisation makes the dancers listen attentively to the body of their partner. Touch is known to reduce pain, fear and anxiety.
Pain, stress and anxiety often go hand in hand with depression. Dance, music and related expressive forms of therapy could help lessen mental fluctuations even before the onset of full depression. Promising results have been gained from treating depression through music therapy.
Dance therapy can help with many disorders of the mind and body, from anxiety to dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Dance is a highly subjective experience. However, neuroscience can help us understand how people can use dance to feel more connected to each other in our technology-filled world.
Effects of dance movement therapy and dance on health-related psychological outcomes
In this work (5), the effectiveness of dance movement therapy (DMT) and the therapeutic use of dance for the treatment of health-related psychological problems was evaluated. Results suggest that they are effective for increasing quality of life and decreasing clinical symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Positive effects were also found on the increase of subjective well-being, positive mood affect, and body image. Effects for interpersonal competence were encouraging, but due to the heterogenity of the data remained inconclusive.
“Connection Is a Core Human Need, but We Are Terrible at It”
In her article (6), Brianna West discusses connection as a core human need, she states that we are a tribal species. There is no way around this despite what many highly individualistic cultures may want us to believe. No person is an island unto themselves. We are born through connection, and it is through connection to others that we accomplish virtually everything else in life. We do not just prefer healthy relationships; we need them.
Connection is so important, but it is so often overlooked and there are few resources available to teach people how to foster real connection in their lives. But there are a few essential ideas that can help.
Why do we love to dance with each other?
In this short BBC documentary film, the reasons why dancing makes us feel happy and why we feel even better if we dance with someone, are discussed. There is co-activation to boost the Endorphins that are released, when we dance synchronously with another person or group. Even in primitive societies dancing is likely to have served more purposes than attracting a mate. It builds social connections which would help survival.
Modern dancers use terminology such as love as in a family, fraternity, trust, safety, gratitude; all very positive emotions. Researchers refer to this as self-other merging as we become part of a couple or group.
Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly
A study by Verghese et al (8) followed nearly 500 people over the age of 75 and found that participation in leisure activities lowers the risk of dementia. Of all the physical activities studied, dancing was the most effective.
A report in Vienas blog (9) mentions work published in the New England Journal of Medicine and that conducted by Washington University and emphasises the special place that Argentine tango holds in being of therapeutic value.
SUMMARY
There can be no doubt that becoming actively involved with dancing can be effective in creating a more healthy life. The consensual contact with other human beings, the need to think while moving and the outcome of synchronous movement with one or more others is beneficial.
Personally, I find that Argentine Tango provides something extra. UNESCO has inscribed this form of tango on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2009 (4.COM)). The history of Argentine tango is fascinating and its practice, with the close embrace and challenging traditional music, provides an atmosphere that requires focussing the mind, respect for the partner and precise physical movement.
Bob Murray
References
- https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/06/hugging.aspx
- Grenwen et al Behav. Med. 2003 Fall; 29(3):123-30 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
(4)https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/health/a-dancers-brain-develops-in-a-unique-way
(6) https://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/connection-is-a-core-human-need-but-we-are-terrible-at-it/
(8) New England Journal of Medicine 2003;348:2508-16
(9) http://vienastango.blogspot.com/2008/12/argentine-tango-and-health-benefits.html
Acknowledgement
Thanks to Dr Kay Boulton (University of Edinburgh research worker and tango dancer) for a critical read of this document and for providing additional references.
Comments
Post a Comment