The social benefits of a pioneering Leicester health initiative which brings together dance classes with health education have been reported in a new study.
The Dance and Health project which has been running since 2017, was set up by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre’s (BRC) public involvement team as part of a broader arts-based approach to health research in collaboration with local dance companies, Moving Together and Aakash Odedra Dance.
A study detailed in the journal Research Involvement and Engagement has revealed that these sessions have done much more than foster participation; there have been a wide range of social and community benefits with participating women playing a role in organising and planning sessions, development of friendships and networks, improved access to institutional resources like funding and expertise, and opportunities to engage in meaningful health and leisure activities.