Family moved by vulnerable loved ones in ‘impossible’ dance performance – De Gelderlander
Gloomy or anxious? Go dancing—it really lifts you up. That’s what patients, many of whom had been struggling with anxiety and/or mood disorders for years, discovered when they were given the chance to dance for a week last year. The results of the study into this experiment are now in, and they are promising.
May 4, 2026
by: Frank Hermans
Family and friends could hardly believe their eyes during the final performance. Their loved one appeared to have undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. Just a few days earlier, they had seen someone who was either extremely gloomy or anxious. Now, the same person, without any dance background, was shining on the dance floor with a gaze full of confidence.
What had happened here?
Pro Persona psychiatrist Gert-Jan Hendriks, Professor of Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Older Adults at Radboud University, came up with the idea after seeing a video of a previous dance project by the Arnhem-based dance company Introdans.
Hendriks: “In the participants, you could see that within just a few days they changed from timid, withdrawn individuals into enthusiastic, exuberant characters. A huge contrast. I thought: could this be something for our clients? They are often inhibited and avoid a lot. What happens to them if they start dancing?”
Together with clinical psychologist Lotte Hendriks and choreographer Adriaan Luteijn from Introdans, he set up an intensive dance week. Eleven clients of Pro Persona, aged between 22 and 62, were no longer approached as ‘patients’, but as dancers in the making. For four days, they followed the same routine as professional dancers: intensive warm-ups, long rehearsals, and working on a choreography. The week concluded with a full performance.
And?
Lotte Hendriks: “The audience was deeply moved afterwards. Not only because they saw their loved one perform in a way they had never thought possible, but also because they genuinely found it beautiful.”
And the dancers themselves?
Gert-Jan Hendriks, smiling: “They had sore muscles.”
Lotte: “And they were incredibly proud. Even during the training week, we saw in mood assessments that they started feeling better and better. More energy, more self-confidence, more connection to their surroundings. After the final performance, the clients even reported experiencing a doubling of their energy levels, while negative feelings were cut in half. The beautiful thing is: even after five months, many participants still reported experiencing the positive effects of the project.”
Dance as therapy, does it work?
Lotte: “First of all: this is a small group, so we are cautious with conclusions. And we are also careful with the label ‘therapy’. We told participants that we see this as an opportunity to explore what dance might mean for their well-being in this context. And indeed, at first glance, it seems to work well.”
What is the secret of dance?
Lotte: “There are also many running groups for people struggling with mental health. But dance offers more than just movement. You have to be creative. And music plays an important role, which is known to have a direct effect on how someone feels.”
Gert-Jan: “With dance, you have to let go from the very first step. That’s quite something, especially for people who normally never come out of their shell. And it goes much further than that. Even if you are socially anxious, you have to do something together with others. You get strange looks directed at you. People with contamination fears have to touch others who are sweaty. All of these are therapeutic elements, but more than therapy, this is real life.”
Lotte: “Beforehand, we asked people what they wanted to achieve by participating. Of course, participants mentioned wanting to work on their anxiety and mood symptoms, but surprisingly many goals went further than that. They wanted to show more of themselves, express more confidence, and stop hiding themselves away.”
Also that worked out?
Lotte: “What was the real highlight for us is that dancing leads to a huge increase in the sense of connectedness. A very important outcome, because recovering from mental health problems almost always happens through contact with others. That is why the final performance was so important. In the post-performance discussion, we heard parents, brothers, sisters, and friends say they had never seen their loved one like this before. They said it with admiration. When it comes to connection, so much happened there.”
Should all mental health care clients start dancing?
Lotte: “It is a way to get people moving, but we do not yet see it as a replacement for care. There is still a lot to figure out before we can properly define what exactly works about dancing, before we consider including it as part of treatment.”
Gert-Jan: “But this project does show us how important it is to build links with society. In this case, a number of clients became members of a dance company. They enjoyed it so much that you automatically start building connections. That can happen much more often—we should pay attention to this much earlier in treatment. Not only through dance, but also by helping people move toward work they find meaningful.”
The dance project will continue in December. A new group of mental health care clients will then start dancing under the guidance of Introdans.
