The evidence
In the context of cancer diagnosis, evidence shows that by undertaking physical activity people respond better to treatment, recover more quickly following treatment, are more likely to maintain their personal wellbeing and can reduce their chances of cancer reoccurrence. Dance is a holistic form of physical activity, and also a creative means of communication - its expressive nature helping participants to establish supportive relationship and process thoughts and feelings that are often difficult to articulate.
Since 2016 we have been exploring the efficacy of Move Dance Feel and documenting the benefits of dance for women living with or beyond cancer, as well as for those supporting someone with cancer. The artistic approach to Move Dance Feel has been shaped by Founder Emily Jenkins, who has worked within participatory dance for over fifteen years and is specialised in the area of Dance and Health.
“I was truly amazed by the effect of Move Dance Feel on my patients. The benefits in terms of improved confidence and wellbeing were remarkable and supported by clinical data. The programme is a huge success.”
What are the results so far?
Further details about our activities and the extraordinary results we’ve seen can be found in:
Evaluation films of online sessions
Emotional & Mental Wellbeing: ‘Pain is replaced with joy’
Connection & Community: 'A real warm feeling of sisterhood’
Transformation of Body Image: ‘To see the beauty’
Access & Facilitation: ‘A safe place to express and be nurtured’
Publications and Articles
ROYAL SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
‘You move as you feel and you feel as you move’: the practice and outcomes of a creative dance project for women living with or beyond cancer
Publication in RSPH’s Perspectives in Public Health Journal.
POSITIVE NEWS MAGAZINE
‘An oasis of movement’: how dance sessions are helping some women confront cancer
A short article in Positive News magazine.
CANCER SUPPORT UK
‘Five Questions about the benefits of dance for people affected by cancer’
An interview with Emily Jenkins, Founder-Director of Move Dance Feel
BEYOND MEASURE?
‘Dancing for Joy’
Commissioned by Leeds Cultural Institute and Leeds Arts Health and Wellbeing Network, Emily Jenkins highlights the significance of joy in dance, and explains how dancing individually and collectively gives rise to immense feelings of joy.
FLOURISH MAGAZINE
Move Dance Feel: The Movement (p.g. 5)
An article describing the the journey of Move Dance Feel, and how it has evolved into international community of dancers.
CREATIVE HEALTH REVIEW
Creative Health and Cancer (p.g. 25 & 38)
Produced by the National Centre for Creative Health and the All Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health and Wellbeing - a review spotlighting creative health initiatives in the UK.
Data poem
A data poem is a creative output in which select words and sentences, spoken by our beneficiaries, are extracted from our data bank and arranged into a poem - to tell a story. The concept of the data poem was inspired by researchers at the Centre for Arts in Medicine in Florida, and the below was created by them too.
Reflections on being
I am dancing like no one is watching
Reconnecting with my body
Sometimes, I feel like it let me down
but dancing uplifts
I found it hard to love my body after two lots of surgery,
continued to feel shocked,
not trusting it, not liking it
Move Dance Feel helped
A safe space to enjoy my body
To see the beauty in how it moves
To feel more control
Here, I can connect
I am connecting with my body with kindness
Connecting with friends, women, dancers across the country
My sister has been on my journey with me
Here we can share, time and space
and see that we are not alone
Here we can talk, care for each other
See and be seen
Before, I felt like I was the only one
Here, I have found community
A being, with others
Here, I have nurtured my body
Not the scanning, the checking, the treating
It’s about being
Being with the healthy, playful and creative
Not focusing on what is wrong is in itself healing
This space allowed me to touch a younger and happier part of myself,
an amazing and unexpected gift
I’m not just old and ill
Here I have rediscovered the girl who dances
I lost her when I was eight
This space has given the freedom to move and dance back to me
In this body that was all pain and fear
Move Dance Feel brought the joy back
The joy of being alive,
of feeling a sense of wholeness
My body is my friend again
Participants’ comments
“I come feeling tired and I leave feeling like I have more energy.”
“Now I see that dance has real value, not just in physical exercise but also in emotional release.”
“Following surgery I had problems with my movement and Move Dance Feel has helped me a great deal.”
“It is the most de-stressing thing I do.”
“The emotional and mental shift I’ve felt through dancing is amazing. I feel my old confident self and far less anxious about the future.”
See more comments on our testimonials page