Dance to the music

The idea of dance as fitness goes back as far as the early twentieth century when women began to move and live more freely; when Isadora Duncan – considered by many to be the creator of modern dance – made her influence felt on the world of dance and when the link between health and dance began to be recognised. Here Sam Boniface explores the history, and the future, of dance as exercise.

T

he popularity of Isadora and her followers meant the character of physical training changed from being associated with military discipline to more romantic

notions of fitness, wellbeing, the body beautiful and physical supremacy.

This idea caught the public’s imagination and today it is no different. Each year nearly five million people take part in dance activity in their communities (1) and around 13 per cent of the population regularly attend dance performances(2). It is the most popular physical activity after football for young people and last year more than 10 million viewers tuned in to watch episodes of the BBC1 TV programme Strictly Come Dancing (3).

Dance is, by far, the fastest growing of all the art forms – but where does it fit into the fitness world?

Early pioneers of dance in fitness included Hinrich Medau and Rudolph Laban in Europe and, here in Britain, Margaret Morris, Ruby Ginner and Mary Bagot Stack. Their work showcased movement and dance systems that provided new and excitingly

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different ways of exercising. Central to their philosophies was the value of physical wellbeing and the idea of moving to music – both revolutionary concepts at the time.

It wasn’t long before dedicated organisations were established to promote and sustain the pioneers’ work and many of them are still in operation today: Margaret Morris Movement, Women’s League of Health & Beauty (now the Fitness League), Medau Movement, and the Keep Fit Association. Their existence after more than 50 years, proves the value of exercise, movement and dance to wellbeing.

Then, in the mid eighties came an explosion of dance forms: aerobics, line dancing, jazz, salsa, Ceroc, belly dancing, Bollywood and, most recently, cheerleading, street dance and Zumba – the latter offering classes in more than 110,000 gyms in more than 250 countries.

The success of these ‘new’ forms of dance fitness, and of those older ones whose principles are still used in modern dance, comes from the physical, social and cognitive benefits that dance in fitness carries.

The REPs Journal 2012;25(September):12-14