(US Holocaust Memorial Museum.)
Dancing provided benefits to the prisoners of the ghettos in ways that even music did not. Dancing was both a form of rebellion and a way of bringing people together. The tango was frequently danced in Yiddish theaters because it was slightly less revolutionary than jazz dancing but still sought to express a stoic and resilient reclamation of identity.
As one survivor describes it: “The dancer could hold at bay chaos, hopelessness, and even death, and through movement could be transformed and redeemed. Jewish dancers brought through dance, moments of recognition, of defiance, of connection, of communication and even of joy despite the Nazi scourge” (Judith Brin Ingber - a professional dancer and historian of Jewish cultural dance).
The Physiology and Psychology of Dancing the Tango: Couples dancing
From the way that survivors and others talk about dancing, it is clear that it is a source of joy and resilience that can calm and revitalizes the spirit. In fact, the experiences of couples dancing and dancing in close proximity to others have been linked with the elevation of pain thresholds and overall social closeness [1], which would have surely helped in countering the effects of conditions in the camps.
Dancing also releases endorphins and serves as a moderate form of physical activity, which has numerous health benefits, from acting as an antidepressant to improving overall cardiovascular health [e.g., 2].
Though the effects of starvation would make it difficult to be active, dance not only preserved emotions and cultural memories, but it also aided individuals in ways that could positively influence their health. When apathy is a persistent problem in areas of destitution and starvation, a sense of community and the social closeness encouraged through dance and music can serve as the only thing standing between giving up and hanging onto life.
[1] Tarr, B., Launay, J., & Dunbar, R.I.M. (2016). Silent disco: Dancing in synchrony leads to elevated pain thresholds and social closeness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 37(5), 343-349.