Why Do You Dance?
Why do you dance? Maybe you want to be a professional ballerina, or a backup dancer for your favorite artist. Or, you want to be on “So You Think You Can Dance,” or travel the Caribbean on a Disney Cruise Line as a live performer. Perhaps you don’t want to be a professional dancer, but rather just simply want to do it for fun, or to get or stay in shape. You could have been a dancer when you were younger, but because of life’s notorious way of becoming too hectic too fast, before you knew it you had work and a family, and dance somehow ended up taking the backseat. Or maybe you never left, and you take a few classes a week at your favorite studio, and enjoy master classes whenever you can, despite your busy schedule.
Regardless of your situation, I can venture a guess that possibly, taking a dance class or two is the one thing you have to yourself. That one and a half hour class once or twice a week is all you have where you can let go of the stresses of the week; whether it’s going to school, working, raising your kids, or juggling a combination of all these things, taking a dance class is that brief moment in time where you are free to be you. Furthermore, taking a dance class is an incredible way to get or stay fit. It certainly beats going the gym and hopping on a treadmill! Dancing has been shown to boost your mood and mental outlook, in addition to burning calories at a rapid rate, depending on the type of dance you choose to engage in.
When you dance, all of your imperfections, all of the emotions that you feel on a day to day basis swell up inside you and you are allowed to manifest it, but in a way where [dance] transforms it into a positive energy force. In a dance class you can grow; it is where your mistakes are interpreted as an area that needs to be [and can be] improved upon, and each class you take you can see yourself produce visible results. The results can be manifested in: improvement in a natural turnout, increased flexibility, developing well-toned muscles, a deeper plie’, a stronger core, a steady balance, more focused concentration, and an overall deeper connection to your mind and body, all the while being harmoniously connected to the music and the other dancers around you. That is what dance is all about. It’s connecting everything all at once, while stepping outside your “normal” self and comfort zone and finding what you are truly capable of, both physically and mentally.
Tell us, why do YOU dance? We’d love to hear your personal reasons for dancing, and which types of dance are your favorite!