Music + Dancing is a combination that has been around since, basically forever, and everywhere that humans have been. Below are some puzzle pieces I'm seeing, although the picture is not yet as clear as this piece of art made with Dall-E:

I don't make any secret about my love of music and dancing, and I don't need any scientific evidence to know the good it does for me and the people around me. That said, there's some emerging evidence that dancing might be really really good for mental health:

Early signs that dancing might be great for mental health

"It's not that exercise beats out SSRIs for depression treatment, but that *just* dancing has the largest effect of *any treatment* for depression".

The optimistic research is here, and actually says more research needed.
Late update: It seems that not only the results, but the performance of this study were flawed. If you're nerdy for research and statistics here's the criticism, which goes deep! I would love to see some real research on this topic.

Since Covid, many smaller spaces for dancing (aka: night clubs and live music venues) have been lost, and it's getting harder to replace them. Real estate costs are insane, and the difficulties in getting licenses from local municipalities are increasing. I see this first hand in my own city, but we're not alone:

UK clubs will be extinct by 2030, warns nightlife expert
"Running a club night at a low-mid capacity while keeping the line-up exciting is becoming almost unachievable".

You only have to wince at the insane ticket and beverage prices to know that Rock music and (broad description) Electronic Dance Music have become over commercialised profit making industries, so it worries me to read about Venture Capital wanting to save the day:

This VC firm wants to fund the best night of your life.
"BNVC is a catalyst for the best nights that create happiness"

Don't get me wrong, there's a place for top tier events - but (ticket) money should not be a gatekeeper for activities that unite people and keep them healthy.

I recent read about: The colourful rise of community-owned pubs where, whilst the corporates are closing unprofitable pubs left right and centre, the number of community owned local pubs has risen dramatically. Further more, these community pubs are succeeding, because their mission and measurements go beyond financial profits.

I'm left wondering whether it's too late for community owned nightclubs (and other music venues)?

Is there any physical space left, will municipalities gives them licenses, and are there already people pioneering this model and succeeding?

Hat tip to Cate, Flori, and Caro, for helping me connect these puzzle pieces.