Teaching dance lessons in a range of styles and genres

Benefits of dancing include:

Increase strength and overall health – Dancing is exercise, so naturally it will assist in strengthening your bones and muscles. As your strength increases, you will have more energy to continue dancing. Your increased level of physical activity and exercise can help prevent illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease and reduce the risk of osteoporosis as your bones become stronger.

Boost memory – When you exercise, the levels of chemicals in your brain that encourage nerve cells to grow is increased and since dancing requires you to remember various steps and sequences, your brain power is boosted which helps to improve your memory. Dancing incorporates several brain functions at once- kinaesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional. Utilising all of these at the same time can further increase your neural activity, helping to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Improve flexibility – Stretching before and after dancing is very important to getting the most out of your movements and avoiding injury. As you continue dancing you will be stretching more consistently and will notice how each stretch will become easier to complete. As the stretches become easier, you will be able to go farther into each stretch, creating longer lines as you lengthen your muscles and become more and more flexible. With this increased flexibility you will notice you have a wider range of motion and your dancing will become much easier.

Increase balance – In order to execute each move and sequence correctly, you will need to be able to maintain a strong centre of gravity. As you learn each movement and begin to gain increased flexibility and strength, your posture, balance and spatial awareness will naturally begin to improve, making each step easier for you to complete.

Healthy heart and lungs – Dancing is great cardiovascular exercise. As you continue to dance and notice your strength and grace improving, you will witness an increase in your stamina. Your heart rate will stay steady longer and you will not have the feeling of being out of breath as much.

Reduce stress – When you are dancing, your body is fully involved in that moment, focused on the music and your surroundings. Being around friends or that someone special to enjoy dancing to your favourite music can help you focus on strictly the moment you are in and aid in reducing the amount of cortisol your brain produces (the hormone that is associated with stress), lowering your stress and tension levels.

Help with low mood – Dance can be a very therapeutic and healthy way for people to channel any feelings they may be experiencing. If you are suffering from low moods, dance can give you an outlet for your emotions by using music or movements that you connect to while in a positive environment. Being able to express yourself without having to talk about anything can give a sense of freedom both physically and physiologically. As you continue to dance, you will see how easy dancing will become and your confidence and self-esteem will also naturally increase, both on and off the dance floor only helping to further reduce your feelings of low mood.

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Help with weight management – The consistent movement that dancing provides utilises multiple muscle groups at the same time, helping to tone your entire body. A study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that an exercise program of aerobic dance training is just as effective as jogging or cycling in order to improve body composition and aerobic strength. You may even notice a natural shift in your eating habits as you begin to feel healthier from your dancing, which also will aid in weight management.

Increase social improvement and confidence – Everybody enjoys meeting new people and dancing provides a fun environment to meet people who have the same interest as you- they want to learn how to dance! This type of environment is perfect to either utilise your social skills if you are outgoing or to help strengthen your social skills if you have a quiet personality. Dancing is a great way to meet new friends and improves your social outlook in an atmosphere where you can feel safe and comfortable.