Cultural Motion, Emotional Healing: Theoretical Foundations and Localization Mechanisms of Ethnic Dance Therapy in China

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-511-9_47How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Dance Therapy; mental health; ethnic dances; kinesiology; psychotherapy; collective movement

Abstract

This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Mongolian, Dai, and Han ethnic dance forms in China and aims to explore how culturally embedded movement traditions promote mental well-being. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of kinesiology, psychotherapy, and dance anthropology, the research argues that dance therapy rooted in localized cultural practices can serve as a holistic, non-invasive intervention for emotional and psychological healing. Employing a qualitative survey methodology, the study engaged 50 participants through open-ended questionnaires. The data revealed that Mongolian dance enhances vitality and group cohesion, Dai dance supports anxiety reduction through slow, fluid gestures, and Han dance fosters social attunement and self-esteem via narrative-based, harmonious group formations. The study proposes a three-tiered ethnic dance therapy model based on cultural biomechanics, neuro-aesthetic engagement, and collective embodiment. Thus, this research contributes a novel, culturally sensitive framework for dance therapy applicable to mental health practice in diverse contexts.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Chendi Wu
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
TI  - Cultural Motion, Emotional Healing: Theoretical Foundations and Localization Mechanisms of Ethnic Dance Therapy in China
BT  - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 413
EP  - 420
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-511-9_47
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-511-9_47
ID  - Wu2025
ER  -