Living with a mental health diagnosis isn’t easy, but simple activities like dancing or drawing can help ease some symptoms.
In her daily life, 10-year-old Lily Blue deals with a series of tics caused by simple Tourette’s syndrome. “The tic that bothers me the most is that I crack my fingers on a regular basis. I know it can be dangerous, I would like to stop, but I can’t.
Thanks to the Tik Tok application, which her brother introduced her to during the pandemic, she discovered a new passion and a way to relieve her symptoms. “I started dancing with my family, with my dog, and we realized that she reduced my tics. My mom signed me up for a dance program, I love it and she helps me every day.
The presenter Claudia Marqués, mother of Lily Blue, is a dance enthusiast, she was still competing in hip-hop at the age of 40. It was while watching her daughter evolve during a dance class that she noticed the disappearance of her tics. She “she was going through a period where she had a lot of tics in her nose and throat clearing, as well as her hands. I was worried that she would affect her routine in her dance class. One day, on my way to class, I saw that nothing was happening. For me, that meant that she was sometimes unable to concentrate. I looked at the whole course and there wasn’t a single check mark. I realized in that moment that dancing could help her have more control and ownership of herself and her emotions than she did.
Since the young woman suffers from a simple form of Tourette’s, she is neither medicated nor followed up by a specialist. “She’s a relatively anxious child, with certain obsessive/compulsive behaviors, but when she’s emotional, into musicality, she doesn’t think about everyday life,” says her mother.
The practice of dance, which occupies him at least three hours a week, therefore seems to be the real source of his peace. Which he confirms with great maturity. “When I do contemporary dance, I feel good. I am directly connected to my emotions. I no longer have stress, I let myself go in my movements. When I do hip-hop, I think more because it goes faster, but I couldn’t get past both.”
Adriana Mandrek, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Bishop’s University, has previously highlighted the importance of dance therapy in treating various symptoms related to mental illness. “Exploring new movements can give birth to new perceptions and sensations. Some movements can recall repressed content and allow for a better understanding of oneself, one’s environment and one’s history.
For her it is clear that dance has a powerful effect on the human body and our brain. “Our posture and movements have the power to transform mental state, unleash spontaneity and creativity, and reorganize the brain.”
The duo of dancers and choreographers Les Twins, also masters in the “Rvolution” program, has decided to get involved with young people by launching the “Let’s dance for mental health” tour, in association with the Youth Writing Network. The aim of these workshops is to teach young people to feel comfortable with their body, to express themselves through dance by telling their own story and to overcome themselves through this challenge. They will then go to schools to meet young people and teach them to take care of their mental health by expressing their inner feelings through movement.
For all the details relating to this tour, consult the website: kidswritenetwork.com
