I have been a dancer for 15 years. My mom placed me in a “combo” dance class of tap and jazz at Marguerite’s Academy of Dance in Erie Pennsylvania at age three. At that time, I did not realize that dance would become such an impacting factor in my life. As I grew older, I become more serious with dancing and specific types of dance like ballet, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop. I went to a performing arts high school where I was also able to take dance classes. With all this experience, I can personally say that there are many benefits of dancing in general, but there are also others that agree with my opinion.

According to dance-techers.org, “There are numerous benefits to partaking in dance classes ranging from increasing your amount of daily exercise to making new friends with shared interests…. The benefit of dance is not only that of increased exercise, but the participation in an art form, which is routed in technique, and giving the opportunity for a creative outlet.” This specific website focuses on reasons one should participate in a dance class. This website talks about how dance classes can open up new opportunities for a person as well. For example, Berkeley Wellness says that, “Dance can also open new opportunities in terms of careers…There are numerous professions in dance from dancing, teaching, choreography or dance notation. In addition to this, people work in the dance industry as; community dance practitioners, promoters, producers, designers, publicists, technicians, physiotherapists, medical and alternative practitioners, therapists, writers and academics.” Along with opportunity benefits from dance classes, there are also many other benefits to dancing in general, even outside of class.

People around the world dance either professionally or just for fun. Whether it is dancing in your kitchen, at a school dance, or on a stage, there are legitimate health benefits to dancing. Dancing can truly improve balance, boost heart health, burn calories, and improve a person’s mood. Berkeley Wellness wrote an article about all these aspects called The Many Health Benefits of Dancing on November 20, 2014. The first aspect touched on is balance. Berkeley writes, “Many studies have found that dancing can improve balance…[shown] improvements in walking speed, and reaction time, as well as cognitive and fine motor performance…according to a review in the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in 2009, dancing may help people with Parkinson’s disease.” Like any other physical activity, dancing burns calories and increases a human’s heart rate, while also increasing heart health in general. Berkeley states that, “One study even found that in people with stable chronic heart failure, slow-fast waltzing improved heart and blood vessel function and overall quality of life.” Dancing can truly change a person’s health and quality of life.

     One’s quality of life can depend on their mood, which dance can also improve. Have you ever seen someone dancing with a frown on their face? Hopefully not! While there are classical and formal forms of dance, like ballet, dance is always intended to be enjoyable. There are songs that even make people WANT to get up and dance! Dance is seen a form of therapy. Berkeley Wellness writes, “It has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress and boost self-esteem, body image, coping ability, and overall sense of well-being, with the benefits lasting over time. In one study, it even helped control ‘emotional eating’ in obese women who eat as a response to stress.” On another website called anxiety.com,  Iris Bräuninger, Ph.D. , writes, “To see someone dance is to witness release, self-expression, and often, joy. For many of those reasons, many therapists who treat anxiety are finding that dance has the potential to act as an effective treatment for anxiety. Dance can be both an outlet for creativity and a method of accessing a peaceful state of mind.” Clearly, dance is an appealing form of therapy that can improve a person’s mental well being, while also helping people keep active and physically healthy.

As a dancer, I can attest to the studies that show that dancing improves physical health, along mental health. Dance to me, has a healing power where when I step into class, everything else that is happening in my life disappears. I know now from reading many articles about this subject, that this sensation does not just apply to myself. On another website called The Denver Post explains, “Participants in dance classes often find that the camaraderie and enjoyment they experience motivate them to continue staying active, thereby improving health longer term.” So, go dance! It will help you in the long run!