Your alarm goes off. You blink with weighted lids. Blankets cradle you like a warm hug. You can feel the chilled air coming from your window. Your body is heavy and happily limp. Your eyes are begging to be shut. And for that split second you think, “Well, I could sleep for another hour if I skip dance class…” WAKE UP! The benefits of moving and grooving are going to impact you for years to come.
BUILDS BRAIN POWER According to a study done in The New England Journal of Medicine, dance can help boost your hippocampus in your brain, which is the control center for your memory! In late adulthood the hippocampus has been seen to shrink and cause dementia but studies show that with dance your hippocampus will be exercising along with your body keeping it healthy for years to come. In this study it was also found that dance is a great way to exercise the brain because it allows our neural synapsis to find new pathways to solve problems and coordinate movements. Building new neural synapsis paths keeps the brain active and ready for tasks to come.
RELIEVES STRESS A study done for A Journal of Applied Gerontology showed that musical accompaniment and partner dancing can be a large stress relief for the mind. Both dancing and music releases endorphins, which gives the body a natural high. In dance because it is a performing art endorphins along with adrenaline is secreted in the body allowing the mind to reach a unbelievable sensation, more intense some may say then just a workout or even drugs.
STAND TALLER Dance has been proven to help relieve depression, build confidence, and improve posture. The social interactions, learning new skills, and sharing time and experiences with others all contribute to building awesome self esteem reducing depression. Also having knowledge on good posture can prevent kyphosis letting you stand tall and strong for many years to come.
Dance feeds the mind, body, and soul. The studio is a place where there is only one focus: being an artist. A place to do the impossible, creating magic and becoming a chameleon. You can be something bigger then yourself or a better version of yourself when you dance. Then, when its over and you whip the sweat off your forehead, you can smile because you just did something that no other person can do. You created a master piece that will never be replicated again, and what’s better then getting to make new art with your body as the canvas over and over again.
