Dance harnesses humanity in exercise: perceptions of dance following an adapted dance program for people with chronic stroke.

Introduction: Perceptions of exercise are important in ensuring physical activity is translated into daily life. If dance is perceived as enjoyable exercise, promoting it may increase exercise engagement in people with stroke.

Objective: To examine perceptions of dance as exercise in people with chronic stroke after participating in an adapted dance program.

Materials and methods: Qualitative interpretive description approach utilizing semi-structured face to face interviews with 18 people post-stroke who completed a 10-week adapted dance program.

Results: Three themes were identified: (1) Dance is Exercise; (2) Dance Moves Beyond Exercise; and (3) Dance Harnesses Humanity in Exercise.

Discussion: According to participants in this study, dance offers elements of traditional physical rehabilitation (i.e. improved balance) and creates a humanistic space where more intangible elements (i.e. liberation, personal growth) are accessed organically. These findings illuminate dance as a holistic approach to rehabilitation, as it addresses both the physical and psychosocial impacts of stroke.