Tenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Urban public spaces can be evaluated by their ability to bring greater meaning, social relevance, and improved health and wellness to users. Although spaces are often designed without these considerations in mind, focusing instead on efficiency and speed of transit, exchange, or consumption (Auge, 1995); spaces are often appropriated by users for dance (Briginshaw, 2001), adding meaning and healing to the space. Although most potently rendered by the dance-resistance of enslaved people (Kmen, 1972), dance transforms other transit and transactional areas of urban life to places of art, beauty, health, and meaning (Quested, 2009). Studies show dancing improves physical (Miura, 2016) and psychological health (Harris, 2011; da Mota 2011; Amens, 2017), reduces levels of depression (Carvalho De Melo et al., 2017) and relieves pain (Mejía et al., 2019). In our contemporary era of speed and conduit focused spaces (Bauman, 1999), dancing has the potential of humanizing the city, turning public space into a place and social event with meaning (Sáez & Merlos, 2016). The present study includes a literature review on dance in its transformation of transit and consumption oriented spaces into healing public places rich in meanings and social relevance.