April 29 marks the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a French dancer and ballet master, who is considered to be the creator of ballet d’action or modern ballet. Now his birthday is observed as the International Dance Day. This celebration strives to promote the education and participation of dance through festivals and events held during this date around the world.
Significance of Dance Day
The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) established April 29th as International Dance Day in 1982 to highlight the incredible range and talent of dancers all over the globe. Dance Day’s star event is a ceremonial gala held by the Executive Council of the International Theatre Institute. The ceremony venue changes each year, but the celebrations can be enjoyed by anybody, anywhere.
International dance is a blanket term for the competitive versions of ballroom dances. There are two main categories:
- Standard – which includes Tango, Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz, and
- Latin – which includes Samba, Cha Cha, Jive, Rumba, and Paso Doble.
Health Benefits of Dancing
Today, dance has become a synonym for fitness. It not only kills calories but improves our balance, agility, power, and coordination. Getting fit does not have to be a chore. Listed below are some of the essential health benefits you can reap with dancing:
1. Increases Stamina
Dancing regularly increases body endurance and stamina which allows the muscles to work for longer periods of time in one go without having to feel tired. A healthy body is one where the muscles and joints are flexible. As dancing involves a lot of movement, it results in a flex of the major muscle groups of the body. This makes a dancer’s body agile.
2. Enhances Muscular Strength
Dancing may not be the answer to building strength and being an elite weightlifter. However, it still offers a way to increase the strength of the upper as well as the lower body. This is because many dancing styles require lifting a partner or jumping, all of which require muscular strength to perform.
3. Increases Flexibility
In order to balance the body, you need to have a strong core, and dancing along with providing flexibility, is the answer to that.
4. Promotes Healthy Lifestyle
Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all shapes, ages, and sizes. Dancing as an exercise engages the entire body as well as the mind. Dancing offers buoyant and creative exercise that promotes a healthier and more active lifestyle. Most dance styles including Zumba and Salsa, involve a vast range of motion and movement, allowing major muscle groups to be flexed and properly worked out.
5. Good for Your Blood
Dancing as an exercise controls cholesterol levels in the blood as well as helps to set blood sugar levels. For someone suffering from high blood pressure, dancing could well be the primary exercise.
6. Helps in Boosting Memory
According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, dancing could enhance memory and keep you from developing dementia as you get older. Science reveals that aerobic exercise can reverse volume loss in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory. The hippocampus naturally shrinks during late adulthood, which often leads to impaired memory and sometimes dementia.
7. Reduces Stress
A study in the Journal of Applied Gerontology said partner dance and musical accompaniment can help bring about stress relief. “Dance and Movement are extremely communicative, which can allow you to escape and let loose.” And “letting loose” helps your mental and emotional health by reducing stress, decreasing the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and boosting your self-esteem.
According to a UCLA Health study based on a survey of 1,000 dancers across the world who had depression, anxiety, or a history of trauma, the practice of mindful, free-flowing dance produced positive mental health benefits among participants.
8. Improves Heart Health
People with heart failure who started waltzing improved their heart health, breathing, and quality of life drastically compared to those who biked or walked on a treadmill for exercise, noted an Italian study.
9. Provides Better Control
Dancing entails a lot of fast movement and good posture. So, regular dancing can help you stabilize and gain better control of your body.
Conclusion
If you need a reason to get moving, consider this: A lot of research shows how dancing can maintain and even boost your ability to think as you age. Scientists observed that the areas of the brain that control skills and memory improve with dance. People dance for fun and to express their feelings. They dance for religious rituals and to foster romance. So, this International Dance Day, groove your troubles away and groove like no one is watching.
