Dance emerges as a powerful tool for stress relief

By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDReviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLMMar 21 2025

Recreational dance supports stress regulation through emotional expression, social bonding, and neurobiological pathways.

Study: Dance and stress regulation: A multidisciplinary narrative review. Image Credit: Miljan Zivkovic/Shutterstock.com

A recent narrative review in Psychology of Sport and Exercise offers fresh insight into the role of dance in stress regulation.

Introduction

Chronic stress can negatively affect both physical and mental health. While physical exercise (PE) is a widely recommended strategy for managing anxiety, different types of exercise may work through distinct mechanisms.

Emerging evidence suggests that dance may offer unique benefits for managing stress and enhancing cognitive and mental well-being—benefits that traditional forms of PE may not fully capture.

Some researchers have even described dance as a “stress vaccine.” Yet, our understanding of how dance achieves these effects remains limited.

Most studies to date have focused primarily on the intensity of dance compared to other aerobic activities. But intensity is only one piece of the puzzle.

Stress regulation itself is a homeostatic process, relying on two key factors: coping and resilience. It’s about restoring balance—reducing stress to manageable levels and helping the body adapt to the physiological challenges that stress brings. Exercise is a well-established coping strategy and can also help build resilience over time.

This review zeroes in on how recreational (as opposed to competitive, professional, or religious) dance helps regulate stress and explores the underlying psychological, physiological, and social pathways that might explain these effects.

Dance characteristics

When viewed as a recreational activity, dance is far more than just physical movement. It blends music, rhythm, and expressive, often beautiful, communication with others. It's a form of creative expression that combines synchronized movement with shared social experience.

Dance also provides opportunities for social touch, emotional release, and uninhibited physical expression.

It engages the mind, body, and culture simultaneously—creating a rich experience that fosters optimism and builds resilience, both mentally and physically.

Neurobiology of dance-mediated stress regulation

Music and rhythm are central to the dance experience. Music with engaging, rhythmic patterns can activate the brain’s reward circuits and ease stress. It also helps reduce anxiety, creates a calming effect, and facilitates a state of “flow”—especially when paired with movement. This flow state is linked to greater life satisfaction and emotional resilience.

The neurobiology behind dance’s stress-reducing effects draws on the combined power of music, social interaction, and movement.

These stimuli influence various brain chemicals, including oxytocin (associated with bonding), dopamine (linked to motivation and pleasure), and β-endorphins (natural “feel-good” compounds). These neurochemicals contribute to healthy coping strategies and emotional resilience.

Sociocultural aspects of dance

Dance holds a special place in human culture as a near-universal form of emotional expression. It communicates feeling in ways that transcend language and can be understood across cultures.

It also creates a shared space where people can bond, process emotional trauma, and develop coping strategies together. Unlike many other forms of PE, dance doesn’t serve a utilitarian function—it exists for its own aesthetic and expressive purposes.

This makes it especially effective at promoting social cohesion and emotional support within groups.

Social contact and partnering in dance

Partner dancing brings people into close, coordinated contact. Dancing in synchrony with a partner creates a sense of connection and shared rhythm. This social touch activates neural systems involved in bonding, largely mediated by oxytocin and endorphins.

Studies have shown that support from a close partner is more effective at reducing stress than support from a stranger—for example, men supported by female partners or women receiving physical support from male partners.

Dance enables and reinforces these types of emotionally supportive interactions, fostering a deeper sense of connection and resilience.

Interestingly, brain imaging studies (using fMRI) show distinct neural activation in dance partners: the “leading” partner tends to display internally focused activity, while the “follower” shows externally oriented patterns. This suggests complex coordination between social and motor systems during partner dance.

Physical activity and movement in dance

Although dance involves physical exertion, it differs from other types of PE in important ways. People are often more motivated to dance than to engage in traditional exercise routines. Dance relieves tension, improves mood, and supports emotional well-being, while also enhancing cognitive function.

As with other forms of PE, dance increases the release of dopamine and endorphins. Group dancing, in particular, combines movement with rhythm and social interaction, which can improve motor function, gait, and balance—especially in people with conditions like Parkinson’s disease.

Social dancing also boosts self-confidence and provides a powerful outlet for personal expression.

Conclusions

This review is the first to take a multidisciplinary approach to evaluating dance’s role in stress regulation. The findings suggest that dance can play a meaningful role in developing coping strategies and resilience.

To date, much of the research has centered on dance’s physical intensity. But dance offers far more than fitness—it’s an experience that directly supports stress relief, boosts psychological well-being, and fosters healthier coping mechanisms.

It has the potential to reduce acute stress responses and enhance overall health in a unique, socially connected, and emotionally expressive way.