It’s a Social Thing
I’ll be honest, when going out socially I feel a need for ‘safety in numbers’ before I get up to dance. I completely sympathise with those of you who feel self-conscious on the dancefloor. But, if I have a group to join in with and I like the music, I do.
Looking out for dance based social events is helpful too. Our local Scout and Guide group runs the village Burns’ Night celebration, including cèilidh dancing. The local band Beggars Belief provide the music and call the instructions for the dances, which inevitably go wrong once we start moving around the room and changing dance partners! Most attendees join in and enjoy the chaos. Dance ability is certainly not a pre-requisite for this event.
It’s a Solo Thing
If dancing in front of others still fills you with fear, how about dancing in private? Put some music on and bop around the kitchen (careful with knives if you are cooking!) to continue gaining from the benefits.
There are also some computer games available that enable you to dance in the living room to improve your health while scoring points. I like the Nintendo Wii (yes, I’m getting old!) Just Dance games, which include a range of difficulties and music styles.
Physical Benefits
Depending on your level of exertion, dancing can get your heart pumping which is great for cardiovascular health. Needing to breathe more heavily is also good for respiratory health.
The movement of dance is good for balance as you shift your weight between your feet, and execute turns. This also helps to strengthen your muscles, which may help to ‘tone you up’. The range of movements in dancing means that muscles throughout your body may be used. This could improve your flexibility too. Of course, some dances are more challenging for the body than others, so you may need to try out a few styles to decide which will work best for you.
New Skills
Before we were married, my husband and I went for dance lessons. We learned ballroom and latin steps, as well as our teacher helping us to choreograph our wedding dance. We continued the lessons until just before our son was born. And, prior to the first pandemic lockdown we re-commenced lessons more locally and were pleasantly surprised how much we remembered (and then confused by the different routines). Incidentally, the teacher was the childhood dance partner of our previous teacher!
Our son also has lessons. Like most children, he just likes moving and music! He is currently the only male child but this doesn’t seem to bother him, and we don’t make anything of it. It will be interesting to see how being the only boy dancing with the girls plays out as he gets older. He started lessons at the age of 3 years after watching the lessons during the weekly coffee mornings at the community centre.
Learning new skills is not only good for physical fitness, it is great for our brains. Learning a new skill helps improve our cognitive functions including concentration and problem solving. Our neurons get ‘fired up’ and form new pathways that the electrical impulses can move along more quickly. This can also reduce our risk of developing dementia.
In terms of mental and emotional wellbeing, the social atmosphere and the opportunity to make new friends can also be a boost. Remember those people are also learning, so you can share your fears, frustrations and giggles together.
For those of you who are interested in starting lessons in 2022 but don’t know where to start, the organisations who have provided my family’s lessons are:
City Limits – Sheffield (our teacher is no longer there, so I’ll not name drop her). Where we started. You often see the dance studios on Strictly Come Dancing (Dan and Nadiya were there this year), and it is run by the family of former-strictly pro Darren Bennett.
Footloose Dance Centre – Barlborough, Derbyshire. A small, independent dance school where you can not only join classes but also go to regular social dances. Private and group lessons are available.
Excel School of Dance (this is an old link, so please contact the instructors to confirm lesson days and times on the details at the bottom of the page). My son, along with many other local children, go to lessons run by this local group. It is a gentle, relaxed atmosphere for the children, making the learning more enjoyable for them. The children learn ballroom, latin and free-style dances and have regular opportunities to take medal tests and perform on presentation evenings. Lessons are also available for adults.
There are many other dance instructors in the area too, so it may be helpful to ask around especially if you are after a particular dance style. These three are just the ones that I have experience of (I am not receiving any financial incentive to list them).
Chair-Based Dancing
For individuals with mobility problems, you may be able to find a chair-based dancing class. You will still get cardiovascular benefits as well as increasing your flexibility, the benefits of learning new skills and improved social well-being.
