Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World

  • Author: Lauren Gavaghan

Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health, and Wellbeing

Can dancing help with mental illness?

In 2015 the Alchemy Project delivered a pioneering ‘treatment’ for mental illness. It was modelled on contemporary dance training and was a different way of engaging with people and supporting their recovery. It was based on the work of Dance United and its proven, award-winning methodology. The premise was ambitious: that in just four weeks, participants would go from a place of no experience to a high-end artistic professional dance performance.

Read More