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DANCE
Abo
Above: Revived Greek
Dance tableau - Bagot Stack students circa 1936
Right: Hoops - Medau circa 1961
Dance is important in education, health, social cohesion and regeneration. People dance for fun, recreation, social reasons and for health. Anyone can dance – young or old, disabled or able bodied, with or without rhythm. In short, it is open to everyone. Today, we see a vibrant range of dance fitness styles drawn from different cultures, giving dance an impressive reach in our multicultural society.
It goes without saying that a dance fitness class delivered properly is a great workout. It’s a fantastic source of aerobic exercise and in some cases can also provide low-level resistance exercise too, and the physical health benefits of dance fitness are extensive. From improved balance and coordination, which helps reduce the risk of falls, through to increased lung capacity, improved flexibility, enhanced mobility and stronger bones and muscles – the list goes on.
This is because when you dance you don’t just move your feet, you engage your brain and stimulate neuromuscular pathways that control the communication between your brain and your muscles. It’s holistic, taking a ‘whole body’ approach to fitness that is not necessarily always found in the more regimental forms of exercise and it’s probably why 10 per cent of the population choose dance as a form of fitness (1).
Once, doctors would advise people to rest as much as possible during treatment but too much rest can result in loss of muscle strength and low energy levels. Recent studies have shown that regular physical activity can help manage or prevent some symptoms associated with serious illness and the treatment of it. Gentle, weight-bearing exercise, like movement and dancing, helps to improve bone strength and aerobic exercise will strengthen the heart.
Research has also shown that dance is beneficial in the direct treatment of a number of conditions including arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and depression (4). A report from the New England Journal of Medicine found that taking part in ballroom dancing, for example, reduced the chances of getting dementia by 76 per cent (5).
But for many people it is the social side of a dance class that attracts them to it as a form or exercise. A recent survey conducted by the Exercise, Movement and Dance Partnership