Do you want a creative outlook on life? Then think about taking dance lessons because with dance you are more creative in life. How do you make dance more creative? We list 7 reasons to use dance as a tool for more creativity in your life - inside and outside Rotterdam.

 

1. Dance creates new connections in your brain.

Dancing provides other impulses and connections in your brain. This allows you to look at situations in a different way. And you can respond creatively and find solutions. You will see that you make other decisions than usual. By using dance as a tool, you can break through patterns and habits that are worn in it. There is room again for new ideas. Because the researchers have shown you
can change brain patterns through training and practice, and dance is very useful for that.

In a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Roger Beaty (Post-graduate Fellow in Psychology and the lead author of this study) says: “People who think more flexibly and come up with more creative ideas are better able to network , which normally do not talk to each other to start up and use. "

Creative thinking is about allowing non-logical jumps of thought. It is also about postponing judgment about the jumps of thought. British psychologist, doctor and management author Edward de Bono calls this discontinuity. He also writes that by developing and maintaining connections between brain cells, creativity can be developed. This way of thinking is also called "out of the box" thinking by De Bono.

An example in a dance class where out of the box thinking is stimulated is a composition assignment. Within set frameworks, there is still room to make choices about, for example, the order of the movements. But also with which body part you move. Or how to the music and with whom. Hereby it appears that dancers are able to come to very creative decisions, because the brain makes new connections.

 

2. Dance is an expression medium.

Dance is an outlet and a way to process your emotions. Just like with writing, journaling, making music or drawing, it helps with a processing process. A tool to sort things out and to make room for new thoughts and emotions. Dance is an imaginative activity that can produce original and valuable results in terms of creativity. It can help you get out of your shell and get out of stuck thoughts. That is what dance does to you.

It is therefore not for nothing that dance therapy exists. Dance therapy assumes that symptoms can be seen in the body. And also in the movements of a person. Feelings, behavior and ways of thinking can be processed through dance and movement, examined and given a place. Like other forms of therapy, dance therapy has many health benefits. For example, it has been demonstrated that it is effective to improve body image, self-image and communication skills. It can also reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, tension, depression and chronic pain. Go after it. For example, if you fight against burnout complaints, you cannot be creative.

 

3. Dance is a journey of discovery.

Taking dance lessons can be a journey of discovery, where you discover new things. In his book "Creativity. Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention" Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates that physical action and the mental state of a person are interrelated. You can imagine that if you end up in a rut, you will continue your days on the automatic pilot. There is no room for creativity, because you blindly trust what you already know and have been doing for years.

So you can use dance as a journey to discover new skills and creativity. You have to continue when you go on a dance class. It is not for nothing that we call it a journey and not a moment of discovery. Feelings of frustration and incomprehension, when you start something new, are completely normal. Accept it and go through these phases. Then it gets a place and you start experimenting with your new skills and you are more creative. If after a while you really don't like it at all, then of course you can stop, but you have given a good chance.

 

4. Interaction and competition provide more creativity.

During the dance class you can observe each other and learn from each other. Because when you see what others are doing, you get new information. Then you process this and make it your own. Often you also want to become better than the other. And then there is competitive urge. More creativity is being used to discover how you can be slightly better than the other. This results in new, beautiful ideas and yet also collaborations.

 

5. Dance relaxes and brings you in a flow.

An open and relaxed mind provides space for other, creative thoughts. For example, you can see your dance class as a mini version of a retreat or a great vacation. You come back charged and with more ideas and a fresh perspective on situations. A dance class can do the same. That way you make room for new things in a relaxed state.

In his best-selling book Flow, Professor Csikszentmihalyi explains that people who experience feelings of concentration and complete pleasure can achieve a state of "flow." This "flow" can give an experience a lot of satisfaction. In his book, Professor Csikszentmihalyi builds on his flow theory. And gives profiles of people who have found ways to give "flow" a permanent presence in their lives. Very often these people have contributed positively to the community and culture.

 

6. Dance appeals to the imagination.

Author and creativity consultant Igor Byttebier states: "When letting go of the fixed thought patterns in creative thinking, the development of imagination is an important skill." According to him, imagination has an enormous database within its memory. Only a limited part of it is used through words. The visual memory is many times stronger and larger than the verbal memory. The use of the body is one of the possibilities to discover and express the imagination of memory. Byttebier also states it in his book Creativity. How? So. The motor skills of the body can certainly be another way to stimulate the brain to creativity.

 

7. Dance is about self-development and self-confidence.

It is not about money or status. It is not about how you look or what body you have. If you are interested in more creativity, then using dance as a tool is an excellent idea. Together with a group of like-minded people in Rotterdam, Amstrdam, The Hague or where you live, you embark on a journey of discovery. Together you have the goal of self-development in mind. Because that creates opportunities for a more creative life. This also increases your self-confidence, which helps in various aspects of your life. You get to know yourself better and you learn the possibilities of your body. And if something doesn't quite work out, then you learn to see possibilities to do things differently and still get things done. And this gives a huge mental boost!

Not yet convinced or is it? Take a look at the range of creative lessons from our fantastic partner teachers and experience for yourself how dance can make you more creative.

 

Sources:

• https://www.bedrock.nl/waarom-danstherapie-een-krachtige-behandelmethode-voor-tal-van-problemen/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2018/01/19/study-shows-how-the-creative-brain-is-wired-differently/#68495edc31a0
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2018/01/19/study-shows-how-the-creative-brain-is-wired-differently/#3f06b4b231a0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOnc2F8X8WU
• Literatuur:
  • Bono, E de. Lateral Thinking, a textbook of creativity
  • Dick Swaab- Ons creatieve brein
  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. Creativity. Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention
  • Nancy C. Andreasen- The creating brain: The Neuroscience of Genius
• Fotos: pexels.com