The dance floor was meant to sparkle. No, we’re not talking about sparkly clothes or sparkly shoes to wear while dancing. In fact, there’s another reason why we’re talking about the dance floor being a place to sparkle – sweat. Shaking and shaking causes sweat, which leaves the space sparkling. All that glitter also comes with surprising health benefits.
Dance as a complex form of movement is not new. They say dance therapy movements date back decades. In the 1940s, Marian Chace introduced dance to psychiatric patients at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. “Dance of Communication” was a course she taught for World War II veterans, providing them with a way to express their feelings. Imagine how easy it would be to express your feelings through dance when you’re traumatized and can’t really put it into words.
Even today, dance is used to treat everything from autism to depression to eating disorders.
One may not deny that there is a connection between the body and the mind, and dance can certainly be a way for people to tap into what is going on inside and express it in an external way. It can be said that dance therapy is almost like talk therapy, helping patients explore their feelings and relieve psychological pain through discussion. On the other hand, in addition to talk therapy, dance can help people develop their body vocabulary.
If we have to count the benefits of dance broadly, it is its ability to connect our minds with our bodies in a fundamental way. Body alignment? Check. Boost your mood? Check. Increased confidence? Check. It has many more benefits for our physical and mental health. Let’s explore some benefits of dancing:
Health and the power of dance
There are countless reasons to hit the dance floor. You can stop thinking of weddings or Saturday nights out as the only events you can do this for. As we have discussed before, gone are the days when dance was only used for such events. From healing the traumatized victims of World War II to becoming world rulers, dance has carved a firm place in our hearts as a choreographed form of movement. We have dance-based reality TV shows and movies to thank for really making dance a craze that many people do not just for fun, but for fitness as well.
benefits of dancing
The unique aspects of dance range from enhancing emotions to cognitive skills, and from enhancing physical abilities to social connections. We all know that honing these skills are vital, if not skills that a person cannot survive without. The fun is certainly high, but now we’ll let you know how dancing can actually benefit your health:
The mental benefits of dancing
It might not come to mind at first, but research shows that dancing has a range of benefits for mental health and well-being. We have established examples of how DMT (dance movement therapy) can help people. A research review of 23 studies looked at the evidence from the past 20 years on how dance movement therapy affects people. Many different types of dance – from ballroom to folk dance – were reviewed, different groups of people were studied, and a range of aspects of mental health were examined, with the following results:
- Dance has a positive impact on our quality of life, emotions and even body image.
- DMT and dancing can also reduce anxiety and depression.
The health benefits of dancing
Dancing can raise your heart rate. As a great way to get your heart rate up, dancing can help you burn over 400 calories in an hour, and one can check this on a calorie calculator and it will tell you this.
Dance can also help you maintain and improve strength by making your muscles work harder.
There is no dance form that does not require you to use different parts of your body in one way or another. Everything from your head and neck to your toes is involved. It’s worth noting that while the upper body and arms move in one direction, the lower body and legs, on the other hand, move in a completely different way. The variation in movement can be compared to activities such as rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time. Therefore, dance can exercise your concentration, coordination, and even balance and agility. It’s a workout for the body and mind.
Boost mood
So if you’re wondering why dance is thought to enhance mood, it’s because it affects certain chemicals in your brain. All forms of exercise (and now also dancing) can enhance mood. Chemicals like dopamine and serotonin affect our mood and thinking.
An immediate sense of release when you start and end a dance class is a strength of dance. People can put the events of the day behind them and focus on the challenges ahead. Dancing was definitely a challenge. You don’t just push your body to move. You also have to consider how it moves.
The reason many people try to teach dancers how to harness the power of dance/movement therapy is that learning choreography also requires a lot of brain power. One has to be constantly on the ball. Emotions change, and even after you learn the moves, you need to “practice the moves” so that they become a natural part of your daily routine. When a person takes dance classes, they feel great. They might even get excited about learning new choreography. Sometimes, they may not be sure by the end of the session, but it still gives them something to focus on and a level of determination they may have never had before.
Which dance style is right for me?
Are you wondering which dance style is best for you? People can gain multiple benefits from each type of dance. We personally teach Bachata at Dance Incubation – an intimate dance between couples that rejuvenates their relationship while gaining confidence.
Speaking of which, are you interested in bringing some fun into your life and relationships? Dance Incubation offers a free video series where you’ll learn how to move your body in 3 everyday situations. It’s fun and a very different way for you to really incorporate dance into your daily life without having to take classes, spend a lot of time or even leave the house.
Furthermore, by default, bachata will be our favorite choice among other dance styles, thanks to the multiple benefits of learning bachata over other dance forms. But dance forms such as tango, salsa, hip-hop, ballet/ballet, and Zumba are also good dance forms. All dances have different health benefits. The high level of physical intimacy in dances like bachata, or even dances that require less intimacy like tango or salsa, also have additional health benefits. Physical intimacy leads to the release of the love hormone oxytocin, which helps people form better relationships. Dance as a form of therapy for couples, married or dating, is becoming a very useful option when combined with other effective methods of improving relationship communication.
give it to you
We all fall into the spiral trap of implying that we are “incompetent” to learn to dance. We doubt ourselves and put the idea of learning dance aside. Still think dancing isn’t for you? Or maybe you’re afraid of your hands getting sweaty or your partner stepping on your toes. There are many reasons why people always end up giving up on the idea of learning dance even if they want to. One of the most common reasons is a lack of confidence. If you want to learn couples dance, some people may complain about not having a partner. We hear some people say they are too old to start taking dance lessons.
Well, if you’re afraid of holding someone’s sweaty hands, you can opt for line dancing, ballet, tap, modern, and hip-hop. Some of them can be group dances, but none require physical intimacy.
If it seems difficult and you consider sticking with it, remember that everyone is a beginner, including you. Don’t be afraid and learn to dance in your daily life. As mentioned earlier, you can watch Dance Incubation videos online. In this series of free videos, you’ll learn how to move your body in 3 everyday situations. It’s fun and a very different way for you to really incorporate dance into your daily life without having to take classes, spend a lot of time or even leave the house.
If you think you’re just going to make a fool of yourself, believe in yourself and be self-motivated. Sometimes only we can create an open and supportive atmosphere in which to strive. Always remember that there are many people who feel the same way. There’s no need to hold yourself back, as the power of dance and its health benefits will outweigh your fear of making a fool of yourself. The truth is, everyone is so busy checking themselves that they don’t have time to pay attention to how others are doing.
Dance is for everyone. And its power is unknown. Dance is universal, and maybe that’s why it’s so great.
