More effective than medication, therapy, and yoga, dancing recently topped the list of successful treatments for depression, and for good reason. Since time immemorial, boogying has permeated every culture and formed the basis of social bonds, a linchpin of community and strong mental health.

A delightful short film directed and animated by Rosanna Wan and Andrew Khosravani for Aeon details the scientific link between dance and good feelings. When people come together to tango or jump-step through a polka, they often experience what’s known as collective effervescence, a concept coined by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim that describes the harmony and joy that arises when gathering in a group with a shared purpose.

As the film notes, “dance is the great accelerator of collective effervescence,” hurtling us toward synchronicity and happiness through a euphoric rush of neuro-hormones, endorphins, and more. When we dance together, we experience ourselves merging, becoming one energized, exuberant unit.

Watch “Dance, Dance Evolution” above, and find more from Aeon on Vimeo.

 

an animated gif of two people dancing together on an orange backdrop

a detailed chart that shows dance beating walking or jogging, cbt, yoga, and more in terms of efficacy for depression treatments

A chart from a 2024 study detailing the most effective treatments for depression

a still of a collage of an ancient figure with drawn arms and legs dancing among planets

an animated gif of a woman running on a track and a drawn crowd dancing around her

an illustration of people dancing with a massive vinyl record near the left side

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘Dance, Dance Evolution,’ Grooving Is the Millennia-Old Key to Health and Community appeared first on Colossal.

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