So you want to dance?

Dancing as an art form and as a form of exercise has become quite popular. With many T.V. shows and movies being made about dance competitions, people now want to get in on the act and learn some moves themselves. The craze cuts across all ages. Children want to join dance classes, learn dancing and participate in different dance competitions. Adults view dancing as a form of exercise or a new skill to learn. You even have senior citizens who have always wanted to learn new forms of dancing and didn’t have the time, joining classes, now that they do have time. 

Benefits of dancing

For children

Do you know that three in five children under the age of ten are predicted to be overweight by 2050? Dancing is a great way to keep fit. There are many types of dances and children find dancing fun. Every style of dance is disciplined and has techniques involving precision and control that will have to be learnt. Dancing will build your child’s flexibility, coordination and posture. It gives them an all round enjoyable experience. It is a great way to expend all their energy. Most dance classes have group dance lessons too and they learn all about teamwork and how to stay focused.

Being good at something new gives their confidence a great boost. Not all kids in school know how to dance and having a special talent is always helpful wherever they go.

For adults

Dancing is a great stress buster. Moving to music at the end of a long day is a great way to relax. Joining a dance class also opens new opportunities for you. Most dance classes will know about competitions being held for different types of dancing and if you are a sporty person and have a competitive steak, this is a great way to explore those possibilities.

In a dance class, you get to meet a whole lot of new people who share the same love for dance as you. When dancing with other people, you are motivated to step up your game. Dancing tones your body, makes your posture better, makes you more graceful and is a great way to keep in shape. Instead of going to the gym and working out by yourself alone, you get to work out with others and end up having the time of your life.

For seniors

It is never too late to learn a new skill. Dancing is one of the most popular hobbies that senior citizens learn. It is amazing to see sprightly, old men and women doing the most nimble work with their feet and doing an even better job of it than youngsters. Dance classes have become a fun way for the elderly to remain fit. It is a place where they can make new friends and pass their time in a fun environment.

Dance the blues away

The benefits of dancing are many. It is a fun way to stay fit and healthy. It tones your body in a different way than working out at a gym does. It is an aerobic form of activity that strengthens important core muscles and shapes the body more than muscling it up.

It is a great way to meet people and many a fruitful friendship has been born in a dance class. It is a group exercise and doing anything in the company of others is much more fun than doing it alone.

It adds grace to your movements, aids your posture and makes you more nimble. It is an all round fun activity!

The beauty of dance

What would life be without music and dance? The pleasure that these arts bring us is indescribable. All your problems seem to vanish while you step in tune to the music. Whether it is an evening at a club, jiving with friends or a more streamlined kind of dancing like ballroom or salsa, dancing is an excellent stress-buster. It is no wonder that more people are taking up dancing as an alternative form of exercise and as a way to stay fit. You are doing something that is enjoyable, learning something new, making new friends and toning your body all in one go. 

History of dance  

Webster’s Dictionary defines dance as ‘moving rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps.’ Dancing has its roots in ancient rituals and pageantry and has been practiced, passed down and has evolved through centuries. It is still evolving as new dance moves and new steps are choreographed almost every day.

Even choreographed dancing has been around for a long time. Many cultures have intricate dance steps for various rituals which are passed down from generation to generation. Since dance is a form of movement, there is not much evidence left behind of exactly when humans actually started the art of dancing. The earliest recorded evidence of dance is found in rock paintings from between 3000 to 4000 B.C.

Different kinds of dances  

Every culture has evolved its own form of dancing, each one unique in their own way and beautiful when done well. Salsa originated in Spain, ballet is said to have its roots in France, ballroom dancing which was called court dancing was all the rage across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Over the 21st century, tap dancing, jiving, contemporary dancing, hip-hop etc, were introduced taking dancing to another level.

There may be many variations and combinations to dancing, but the one thing they all have in common, is the pleasure they give to the dancers and their audience.

Benefits of dancing  

1. Learning something new is always exciting. It is a well-known fact that one of the ‘must-do’s on most people’s lists is to learn a new kind of dance.
2. Dancing is a form of exercise and is a very good way to workout. Any kind of dancing, even if it is in your own room with the music turned up loud will definitely help you lose weight and tone up. But going to a class is much more fun.
3. Learning to dance with other people pushes you to do better. You learn faster as you try to keep to the rhythm of others. The sequence of the steps is disciplined, and by following them you are learning to control and discipline your body. You will be amazed at how much better your posture and gait become once you start dancing. It makes every movement you make graceful. You will always be able to recognize a dancer by the way they move.
4. You will meet other people who share the same interests as you, and you can be sure that you will be looking forward to your dance classes every day.

 Don’t dream about it, do it!  

How often have you watched ‘Dancing with the stars’, or ‘So you think you can dance’, and envied the grace and seamless flow of movement? Granted, that many of the dancers on these shows have been practicing from a young age. But it is never too late to learn dancing. A surprisingly large number of senior citizens sign up for dance lessons. Don’t just dream about dancing, go ahead and do it!