Call for articles - special issue: Dance, Health, and Wellbeing

This special issue in Dance Articulated highlights the many ways that dance might enhance different aspects of health and wellbeing, as well as healthy ways in which people can be dancing. In light of the changing world, we are looking for articles regarding the potentials of dance in reducing somatic and psychological health issues, strengthening wellbeing and positive lifestyle habits, and using dance therapeutically and pedagogically both in real life (IRL) and digitally to enhance the quality of life and social interaction, even in challenging times of pandemic restrictions. We encourage research and ideas that highlight how healthy dancing can provide opportunities that challenge traditional ways of thinking and how we can successfully continue to operate as health workers and dance practitioners, educators, and researchers. As such, the special issue turns attention to (re)considering dance in ways that have implications for somatic and emotional health, meaning, enaction, contexts, communities, practice, education, and policy.

The definitions of health and wellbeing are broad in this special issue and includes all areas where dance is being practiced, shared, taught, created, learned, researched, and developed. We welcome submissions with critical investigations of: How do dance therapy and dance interventions affect health and well-being for different target groups? How can we broaden the use of dance interventions in health care (treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation)? How can dance be a tool in reducing the burden of mental health problems? In what way has pandemic restrictions influenced and changed the experience of participating in dance? How do dancers experience and understand health and well-being? What effects, relations, and communities emerge through issues of health in dance practices? How can we engage in dance research and practice while focusing on healthy dancing in a socially and physically distanced context? How does technology influence health and wellbeing in dance interventions? Moreover, how can virtual mobility be used in dance to promote health and wellbeing within these times?

With this special issue, we invite article submissions that critically and creatively discuss, define, and present examples of how dance practice can be used in dance and health, and how dance practices, research, and interventions might have the potential to contribute to strengthening health and giving hope, enjoyment, relief, change, and opportunities for movement.

Possible themes can be, but are not limited to:

• Therapeutic dance methods in treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation
• Dance interventions that aims to influence health and wellbeing for different target groups
• Dance styles, identities, and communities emerging through and around health issues
• Dancers’ experiences, understandings, and knowledge of health issues and well-being
• Health issues when dancing in educational institutions
• Sustaining relationships and communities in and through the use of dance for health practices
• Ethical aspects of dance health practices
• The reimagination of the meanings of healthy dancing as a complementary tool both IRL and digitally
• Engagement and innovation with technologies for dance-related to health issues
• Indigenous approaches to health and wellbeing through dance

We invite the above themes to be explored in relation to one or more of the following areas:

• Dance movement therapy
• Dance interventions
• Teaching and learning dance
• Networking in dance
• Collaborating in dance
• Researching dance
• Dancing in a digital world
• Indigenous dance methodologies