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We’ve heard time and time again that exercise is beneficial to our health. It can improve brain health, keep weight off, help prevent disease, and strengthen bones and muscles in our bodies.
But did you know? Just like exercise, dance has all the same benefits and even has additional benefits.
Dance can convey emotions and be a form of self-expression. At times, it can be hard to just talk about our emotions. Dance gives the option of using movements, gestures and non-verbal cues to take the place of words. It can also be used as an outlet for releasing emotion, as a tool to tell a story or as a way to simply express through physical motion.
Dance can help to improve brain health. In a 2015 article from Harvard Medical School, several studies discussed dance's ability to not only “reduce stress” and “increase levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin”, but also help “develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition.”
Dance can make you happier. Think about it, when dancing, there is music playing and it’s something most often done with a group or a dance partner in hand. The movement is often playful and freeing, allowing for a release of energy and tends to include smiles and laughter. Studies have found that dance can not only reduce stress and negative emotions, but unlike regular exercise, it also increases positive emotions.
Aside from the physical and emotional benefits, for many, dance can also be a way of connecting the past with the future. Think of songs you danced to at your prom night or how that father-daughter music reminds you of your wedding day. It can be sentimental and can symbolize special meaning in our lives.
In 2007, Leeza was a contestant on Dancing With The Stars. During an interview with Telegram, Leeza shared,
“My gift to my mother is to dance ... with her spirit,”
adding that her mom, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease at the time,
“loved the whole celebratory nature of dance.”
For Leeza, it wasn’t about being the best. It was about putting herself out there, showing herself she could do it, and celebrating her mother through dance.
If you’re looking for ways to add some dancing into your life, check out your local dance halls and dance studios. Many non-profits also offer free dancing classes, like at Leeza’s Care Connection (SC), we offer free line dancing classes!
There are also great local events where there are opportunities for dancing, like our Senior Prom on April 11th here in Columbia, SC! To buy tickets or Send-A-Senior to prom, check out our website at the link above.
If you’re a senior in the Columbia area, feel free to reach out to us at info@leezascareconnection.org to join our list of Send-A-Senior nominees for a FREE chance to attend!
Sources
Center for Disease Control. (2023, August 1). Benefits of Physical Activity. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
Harvard Health Publishing. (2016, April 21). Let's dance! Rhythmic motion can improve your health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/lets-dance-rhythmic-motion-can-improve-your-health-201604219468
Harvard Medical School. (2015). Dancing and the Brain.
GreaterGoodMagazine, Science Based Insights for Meaningful Life. (2022, July 6). Four Ways Dancing Makes You Happier.
Public Health. 2021 Jun. Dancing doctors: exploring the potential of cultural dance education to improve cultural competency and clinical communication.
The Routledge Companion to Embodied Music Interaction. (2017, April). The Communication of Emotions in Dance.