If you’re feeling depressed, dance may be for you. In 2023, Gallup reported 29% of US adults had been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives. The National Geographic article Why dancing can be more powerful than antidepressants (Sep.2025, Note: It’s behind a Disney paywall) cites a study finding that “dance reduced symptoms of depression more than walking, yoga, strength training, and even standard antidepressants.”
I’ve been there, with deep depression, and viscerally recall the “loss of the body’s emotional vocabulary” the article mentions, where movements — and even our facial expressions — become dulled. Music and dance provide a triple threat to counteract this by boosting dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. Says the article, “Studies have shown that this trifecta can enhance mood, increase social bonding, and reduce stress.” In fact, Lobo states, “The more vigorously people danced…the greater the reduction in symptoms” of depression.
“Dancing engages our entire nervous system,” continues Lobo, and “Some neuroscientists describe this full-body stimulation as a neurochemical symphony.” When we dance together, we can engender a “phenomenon called interbrain synchrony” which is “the alignment of brain activity across people.” If you’ve ever felt that sense of moving as one with a partner, you’ve experienced this merging of symphonies, where personal boundaries blur and bonding, trust, and empathy increase. Some call those “magic dances” and they can, for sure, at least in the moment, cure what ails you.
See you on the dance floor. —Sean Donovan