The essence of dance is youth exchange funded by the European Union. This project is part of the Erasmus plus programme. Host organization is Urbana mladež while partners are Stowarzyszenie aktywności przeróżnych niemarudni.pl from Poland and WalkTogether from Bulgaria.
This project is designed by a group of young people who were particularly hit by current coronavirus pandemic when it comes to their emotional health and overall well-being. Through guided process and mentorship for designing this application, young people detected particular issues they want to tackle and proposed solutions which they find as most suitable to respond to their needs.
Young people have expressed that they perceive stress as a very real problem in their lives, as it affects them in various forms. Stress can result in anxiety, emotional instability, reduces their work performance, causes health issues, etc.
We tend to put our stresses to the side instead of dealing with them directly. This type of behavior causes laziness and a physically unhealthy lifestyle. One viable solution to this problem may lie in dance.
Dance may reduce stress because it is considered exercise. Exercise helps us to become and stay healthy. It increases blood flow which may increase muscle mass, flexibility, joint response, bone strength, and overall strength in the body. One of the best results of exercise is the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical produced in the brain that relaxes and puts the body in a happy mood. This chemical is essential for a person’s well being because serotonin also regulates sleep, appetite, and the ability to learn.
This project was developed with the main aim to alleviate stress of the participants and to increase their ability to cope with stressful situations throughout the dance.
Objectives of the project are:
To express and respond to challenges for emotional health and well-being of the participants which are causes of their stress and anxiety;
To learn to look out for common signs of distress;
To learn successful techniques how to cope with stress and anxiety through dance;
To increase motivation of the participants to engage in physical and social activities that positively influence their bodies and minds;
To increase intercultural awareness of the participants and a sense of common EU identity;
To promote Erasmus+ and opportunities it provides for young people.