Can dance and music make the transition to a sustainable society more feasible?

• Transition to sustainability is a process that requires change on all levels of society from the physical to the psychological. This article takes an interdisciplinary view of the landscapes of research that contribute to the development of pro-social behaviors that align with sustainability goals, or what we call ‘inner sustainability’. Engaging in musical and dance-activities can make people feel trust and connectedness, promote prosocial behavior within a group, and also lower prejudices in between groups. Sustained engagement in these art forms brings change in a matter of seconds (such as hormonal changes and associated stress relief), months (such as raised emotional well-being and learning outcomes), and decades (such as structural changes to the brain of musicians and dancers, superior skills in expressing and understanding emotion). In this review, we bridge the often-separate domains of the arts and sciences by presenting evidence that suggests music and dance promote self-awareness, learning, care for others and wellbeing at individual and group levels. In doing so, we argue that artistic practices have a key role to play in leading the transformations necessary for a sustainable society. We require a movement of action that provides dance and music within a constructive framework for stimulating social sustainability.

Nyckelord

dance

inner sustainability

mind-shift

music

transition

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)