Life Satisfaction in Dance Practitioners: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The present study aimed to i) assess life satisfaction among leisure time dance practitioners and ii) investigate differences in life satisfaction between people who dance for enjoyment and those who dance for exercise. Five hundred and sixty-seven adults (89 men and 478 women) completed the Karakasidou et al. (2016) Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), which consists of five items on a 7-point Likert scale. Results showed that 423 dancers participated for enjoyment and 144 for exercise purposes. Regarding the first aim of the study, the dancers scored high on the five items of the scale confirming that participation in dance has a potential positive impact on life satisfaction. According the second aim, the t-test analysis revealed statistically significant differences in four Satisfaction with Life Scale items, with individuals who participated in dance for exercise scoring higher than those who participated for enjoyment. In conclusion, those who participated in dance showed high satisfaction with life, and enjoyment appeared as the most important reason for participating in dance practices during leisure time. The findings shed light on the role of dance in promoting life satisfaction and provide insight into the motivations behind dance participation. Leisure activities, including dancing, could induce positive emotions that promote wellbeing.