Mon Apr 25, 2005
Dancing for Joy
We have all watched young children move to the beat of music. The children wave small arms as they twirl around shaking their hips. Their love of movement is charming and exciting. The innocence and lack of inhibitions creates a joy which we are blessed to share. The rhythm of their bodies comes to them untaught, free and theirs alone.
Dance is defined as “a series of rhythmic and patterned bodily movements, usually performed to music.” It is indeed much more. The tradition of dance is derived from the music and cultures of the people of the world. Dance is a celebration of life and a declaration of love and passion. The movement of the body is a style of physical exercise that encompasses the mind, the body and the spirit.
There are many benefits in using dance to achieve a fit and healthy body. The professional ballet dancer is known to be one of the best athletes in the world. This is due to the dancer’s cardiovascular stamina, balance, muscular power and flexibility. A student of dance or a social dancer also gains these benefits to a similar, but lesser degree. The cardio endurance required in an evening of salsa dancing, cowboy swing or hip hop is appreciated by anyone that has spent more than an hour on the dance floor. A disciplined dance class or dance fitness class offers cardiovascular strength when the class has been well designed. The instructor should use choreography that incorporates various levels of body movement and maximizes the use of space. The combinations should be lengthy and have an accelerated pace.
Structured dance classes offer several types of the conditioning component. There are the specialized exercises of the ballet “barre” or the more common use of floor work which targets most muscle groups. But, as with most exercise programs, the student of dance may achieve muscle tone with the completion of the cardio routines alone.
Dance is also an excellent way to improve bone density. The across the room movement of most dance classes includes the “plie”, aka as the bend of the knee, followed by a leap. This movement uses the resistance and the rebound which is the perfect exercise to achieve greater bone density.
Dance is also very beneficial in the use of the brain and its development. A student of dance must be mentally aware in order to learn the routines. The choreography in dance classes requires sustained memory capability. The standard procedure of dance classes uses movement that is a balance between the right and the left side of the body. This practice also balances both sides of the brain. A study was conducted in the prevention of Alzheimer’s. Various types of exercise were studied in the possibility of exercise as a prevention of this disease. Dance was the only form of exercise which they found to help prevent Alzheimer’s.
A negative attitude toward dance is often a reflection of memories relating to insecurity and fear. A positive response to dance may come from childhood memories of recitals and pink tutus or the first dance with the man or woman you love.
I look behind me as I share in this unique community that is dance. As a teacher, I see layers of low self-esteem and inhibitions slip away as my students become in fact “dancers”.
All of us, everyone, has been that young child that our parents smiled upon while we waved our arms. We were the children that twirled to the natural rhythm of our bodies. We felt the joy and the freedom that is dance.
Sue West is an award winning choreographer and teacher. She has taught for over 25 years. She has received national and international praise for her skill as a teacher and creator of classes for women. The Synergy Video Series was created to make unique exercise videos that use modern interpretations of traditional movements and use locations that serve as metaphors for the philosophies of the creator the Series. It was founded in 2002 and the first release The Santa Fe Stretch has won a Telly Award for Cinematography as well as receiving press reviews all over the country for its beauty and well thought and well executed workout.
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