Arts Council of Wales
Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden has said that even the smallest dance moves have improved her bone strength and mental health during cancer treatment.
The 35-year-old man joined a dance class for people over 60 in Swansea aimed at improving strength and balance to reduce the risk of falls.
A new report finds that participation in arts programs designed to improve physical health and wellbeing saves the Welsh NHS £26 million a year.
Dowden stressed the benefits of dance.
“no matter what age” for improving flexibility, strength and confidence.
She has been a strict professional since 2017 and was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer after finding a lump the day before her honeymoon in 2023.
“When I was going through chemotherapy, if I could do a little cha-cha in my lounge or move my body, it made me feel so much better and if it wasn’t for dancing, I’m not sure I would be as fit and healthy as I am now,” Dowden said.
The star of Caerphilly believes that “not enough” has been done to promote the benefits of dance, despite having Crohn’s disease since a young age.
“For me, dancing has gotten me through the toughest times and even when I couldn’t dance, being able to watch it made me feel amazing.
“We have to get our bodies moving. You can be seated in a chair, you can participate as much or as little as you want, and actually seeing the progress over the weeks is as rewarding for a teacher as it is for the participants.”
A national dance program in Wales could save the NHS £5 million a year, according to a new report published by the Arts Council of Wales.
According to research conducted by health economists at Bangor University, £17 million could also be saved if 5% of all adult mental health GP appointments were avoided after engaging in an arts program.
Joining a weekly dance group has helped Sylvie Evans, 69, recover from a knee injury.
“I’ve been seeing physiotherapists for a year and obviously dancing too – I think I’ll hopefully avoid an operation now, which will probably save thousands of lives on the NHS,” she said.
“But social interaction is really important. Some people come because they’ve had to overcome a bereavement or maybe they’ve had poor health and here we are all friends and colleagues.”
Judith Lombardo said that as someone who is visually impaired and has poor balance, participating in Dance to Health classes for the past three years has made her “stronger” on her feet.
“No one judges you and everyone is very friendly. Even me.” [guide] The dogs love it here,” she added.
Researchers found that the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) supports more than 80 arts organisations per year, helping to deliver at least £588 million in savings and economic productivity.
Its chief executive, Dafydd Rice, said, “The arts are delivering real, tangible health benefits for people and communities and we now have independent, strong evidence to prove this.”
The Welsh Government said, “We have increased our spending for the wider culture sector by 8.5% this year and tripled investment in places and destinations compared to a decade ago.
“Our draft budget for 2026-27 has already been published, which includes £33.5 million more in revenue and increased capital allocation for the arts.”
