Dancing to Happiness
Strictly judge Darcey Bussell on how dancing has a positive impact on our mental health…
SATURDAY / BBC2
Can dance have a positive impact on mental health? Strictly judge and former prima ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell meets people who find inner strength through dancing.
Darcey Bussell: Dancing to Happiness saturday / bbc2 / 9Pm
Principal of the Royal Ballet for nearly 20 years and well known as one of the best dancers Britain has produced, Dame Darcey Bussell knows more than most about the huge benefits that dance can have – not just for the body but for the mind, too.
But it’s only since her retirement from professional ballet 11 years ago that the Strictly judge has realised just how crucial dancing is to keeping her on an ‘even keel’ emotionally. If it makes her happy, can it have the same effect on all of us?
Darcey, 49, has decided to investigate why dance, more than other forms of exercise, has such a positive impact on mood for
her inspiring new BBC2 documentary, Darcey Bussell: Dancing to Happiness.
Here she tells us more…
How has dance helped your mental health over the years?
I can’t imagine a life without dance. It’s a passion, it’s a love, it’s an addiction, it’s something that lifts me, it’s a wonderful structure. It is many, many things but dancing has sort of given me everything I know about myself and my confidence, and when that’s taken away from me I feel lost.
It was only when
I retired from ballet
11 years ago that I realised just how crucial dancing was to me. A year afterwards it kind of came as this massive wave that
I was missing something about who
I was as person – and it was dance, basically!
Why make this documentary?
Lots of us know how good it feels to dance but
I’m convinced we should be using it as a way of improving our mental health. Tackling the mental-health crisis is one of the biggest challenges we face today. I want to know why dance is so special and why it works.
You start off in Manchester, where a group of troubled girls are finding support and strength through dance.
What was that like?
In the last 25 years, depression amongst teenagers has risen by 70 per cent here in the UK. Life shouldn’t be that complex at that age. It’s a constant doubt, isn’t it? About whether they’re right or they’re fitting in, I suppose, all those anxieties. But dance is giving them another chance to express themselves.
I’ve always used dance as a piece of strength to hold me together, to give me structure and to give me discipline, and for them it’s a way of opening up and expressing all the tough things in their life. It’s really rewarding to watch. It’s quite emotional.
You also meet some older people in the programme who are suffering from dementia or Parkinson’s disease and who’ve discovered the benefits of dance…
I believe passionately that we should all dance our whole lives. Even for the less physically able, movement to music can be hugely beneficial. I think there should not be a moment in your life where you stop dancing just because of your age. For me, dance has kept me younger. If I can keep my body moving I’m definitely younger!
It helped them physically, but it also lifted their mood, didn’t it? Yes! What was really great to see is that dance was triggering memories with this group of people that were living with dementia.
For me, it must be like suddenly remembering dancing with my dad when
I was a young girl.
It’s those little moments that are incredibly special.
You’ve been open about how lonely retirement can be. So was it encouraging to see how ballet classes are helping recently retired women?
I always had this thought of retiring really gracefully – but it never was graceful! I was a ball of mess, I was crying... It’s been incredibly moving to see how dance can affect so many different groups of people.
I didn’t actually imagine what a powerful tool dance can be. To see how it has affected people and how it’s changed the way they feel is great!
I’ve always used dance as a piece of strength to hold me together…