Abstract:

Recreational dance has been proposed as a meaningful lifelong learning opportunity, combining movement, creativity, and leisure in ways that can support adults' psychological wellbeing. While most research has focused on professional or therapeutic settings, less attention has been given to adult recreational dance students. The present study aimed to investigate multivariate group differences in adult learners' levels of mindfulness, self-compassion, and life satisfaction based on:
a) the main style of dance practiced, and
b) the duration of participation in recreational dance education programmes.

A cross-sectional quantitative research design was conducted from April to June 2025. The sample consisted of 287 adult recreational dancers (54 men, 233 women) attending dance schools, studios, and clubs across the Thessaly region of Greece. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that recorded participants' main dance style (classical/ballet, contemporary/modern, traditional, Latin, tango, aerial, aerobic/Zumba) and years of participation. Psychological outcomes were measured using three validated instruments: the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Following the verification of internal consistency and basic distributional assumptions, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) procedures examined whether groups defined by dance style and time of participation differed significantly across the three wellbeing variables. Univariate analyses (ANOVA) with post-hoc tests clarified specific variations between these groups. The findings demonstrated that recreational dance education influences adult students differently based primarily on their chosen style. Multivariate tests indicated a significant main effect for dance style on the combined wellbeing variables. Follow-up analyses revealed that social and expressive dance forms (tango, Latin, traditional) were associated with higher mindfulness and self-compassion levels compared to fitness-oriented practices (aerobic/Zumba). Interestingly, specialized forms like aerial dance were distinctively associated with higher life satisfaction. Conversely, while variations were descriptively observed across different durations of participation, the length of time dancing did not emerge as a statistically significant independent variable of multivariate psychological wellbeing. This finding is critical for lifelong learning pedagogy as it suggests that the psychological benefits of dance are not merely a result of long-term accumulation but are intrinsically tied to the qualitative nature of the artistic practice itself. These results confirm recreational dance education as a valuable pedagogical modality within lifelong learning. The data specifically reveals community dance studios as decentralized lifelong learning centers capable of delivering evidence-based embodied education. This shifts the pedagogical focus of adult dance instruction from mere technical skill acquisition to holistic psychological development. Practical implications suggest that adult educators can partner with local dance instructors to co-design wellbeing-improved curricula. By understanding which dance styles foster specific psychological assets, educators can strategically adapt their instructional approaches to diverse adult learner needs, creating scalable mental health benefits through accessible recreational programming.

Keywords:

Community dance, embodied learning, expressive dance, non-formal education, mental health promotion, movement-based education.