“Social dance” is a term for partner-based dance styles. It can also be referred to as Ballroom and Latin dance, or Salsa dance. However it is called, social dancing is about partnership, enjoyment, and exercise. Ballroom and Latin dancing is perhaps the most elegant and well-respected social activity in the world! Everyone can learn, and Lakeside Dance is Barrie’s best choice for getting you on the dance floor to success! Read more about the Benefits of Social Dancing, and learn why “Dancing Makes You Smarter”, an article by Richard Powers.
In social dancing, both men and women are spontaneously open to the infinite possibilities of the moment, responding to one’s partner and to the music. — Richard Powers
Dance Classes Keep The Mind Healthy And Youthful
By: Richard Powers – Stanford Dance For centuries, dance manuals and other writings have lauded the health benefits of dancing, usually as physical exercise. More recently we’ve seen research on further health benefits of dancing, such as stress reduction and increased serotonin level, with its sense of well-being. Then most recently we’ve heard of another benefit: Frequent dancing apparently makes us smarter. A major study added to the growing evidence that stimulating one’s mind can ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, much as physical exercise can keep the body fit. Dancing also increases cognitive acuity at all ages.
You may have heard about the New England Journal of Medicine report on the effects of recreational activities on mental acuity in aging. Here it is in a nutshell. The 21-year study of senior citizens, 75 and older, was led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, funded by the National Institute on Aging, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Their method for objectively measuring mental acuity in aging was to monitor rates of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The study wanted to see if any physical or cognitive recreational activities influenced mental acuity. They discovered that some activities had a significant beneficial effect. Other activities had none. They studied cognitive activities such as reading books, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and playing musical instruments. And they studied physical activities like playing tennis or golf, swimming, bicycling, dancing, walking for exercise and doing housework. One of the surprises of the study was that almost none of the physical activities appeared to offer any protection against dementia. There can be cardiovascular benefits of course, but the focus of this study was the mind. There was one important exception: the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing. Reading – 35% reduced risk of dementia Bicycling and swimming – 0% Doing crossword puzzles at least four days a week – 47% Playing golf – 0% Dancing frequently – 76% That was the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied, cognitive or physical. Quoting Dr. Joseph Coyle, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist who wrote an accompanying commentary: “The cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which are critical to these activities, are remarkably plastic, and they rewire themselves based upon their use.” And from from the study itself, Dr. Katzman proposed these persons are more resistant to the effects of dementia as a result of having greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses. Like education, participation in some leisure activities lowers the risk of dementia by improving cognitive reserve. Our brain constantly rewires its neural pathways, as needed. If it doesn’t need to, then it won’t. Continue Reading >> 1 | 2
We teach social dance, which is more relaxed and meant for enjoyment, compared to international style which focuses more on technical aspects of dancing. We have a unique method which develops primary dance skills first, so that you may begin using your dancing from your very first lesson! Your learning will progress faster as you attend group classes and practice parties. Start Dancing Today! 4 Key Health Benefits of Social Dancing As if there weren't already enough reasons to kick up your heels and dance... There are also numerous health benefits to social dancing regularly. Here are four of the top health reasons to get started with social dancing and keep going with it: 1. Better Physical Fitness Regular social dancing can improve both your muscular and cardiovascular health. You'll tone up, have more stamina, and enjoy better lung capacity, circulation and joint health. 2. Improved Coordination and Motor Skills Dancing uses movements and neural connections in the brain that are different from just about anything else you do throughout your day. Regular social dancing will help you to have improved reflexes, better hand-eye coordination and more agility. You'll also have stronger stabilizer muscles from regular dancing, which will improve your posture while both sitting and standing. 3. Lowered Stress Levels Nothing gets positive brain and blood chemistry flowing quite like dancing. It inspires joy and well-being in both those who engage in it and those watching the dance. Stress is one of the prime factors that can lead to illnesses, but when you're dancing, all of your stress seems to melt away. 4. A Larger, More Diverse Social Circle When you social dance, you naturally meet new people in a fun and stimulating setting. Studies have shown that the more social we are, the more physically and mentally healthy we tend to be. If you're ready to experience all the fun, excitement and invigorating health benefits of social dancing, contact us today. We'll get you started with a program that's just right for you.
Care At Home Services2018-12-17T15:24:27-08:00
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing struggle with systemic racism have shaken the dance world. Now more than ever, connection, empathy, and activism must be cultivated in dance settings. And one of the best ways to do that is through social dance forms, which come out of rich and diverse cultural traditions. “It’s one of the ways we heal the discrimination, the injustice, the fear,” Abdiel Jacobsen, former principal with Martha Graham Dance Company, says of his social dance experience. Here’s how social dance can benefit studio dancers as both artists and humans.
Social dance forms weren’t made for stages, but were instead created in streets and clubs, often by members of oppressed communities, as a means of expression and communication. Examples include salsa, swing dance, hustle, and samba, though there are many more. “Social dances tell a story about history, culture, and social justice,” explains Francine E. Ott, a lecturer at North Carolina State University, whose work blends hip hop, house, and African diasporic dance. “These dances are a voice of the people.”
Abdiel Jacobsen and Kristine Bendul (Christopher Jones, courtesy Jacobsen)
Social dance styles tend to emphasize community building over conformity in the pursuit of different aesthetics. That kind of learning environment can help studio dancers gain a greater self-appreciation. Lindy Hop dancer and teacher Evita Arce, for example, knew she didn’t want a future in ballet, so she thought she couldn’t be a professional dancer. Her professional career, she recalls, “almost happened by accident, because I just kept doing what I loved.” When dancers feel comfortable being their fullest selves, they might also discover more space to challenge societal norms. Jacobsen worked professionally in both the modern dance and ballroom worlds and often faced microaggressions in those environments. But he found acceptance in social dance: “Hustle was the first social partner-dance community where I finally didn’t have any fear about my race, my sexuality, or my effeminacy.” Buoyed by that support, he and his dance partner, Kristine Bendul, became the first male/female duo to compete professionally as a gender-neutral couple in DanceSport, with each swapping roles of leader and follower equally.
Many studio dancers, accustomed to following highly specific instructions, panic when asked to improvise. But living in the moment is inherent in social dance, where you’re often responsible for a partner, or for the community energy. It’s a space where vulnerability occurs organically—and that can have real benefits for your dancing overall. “I have students who want all of the information instead of being in the moment and understanding that learning within the social context is creativity,” Ott says. She tells her students, “If your voice is louder in your head than me and the music, you’re not engaging with what’s happening in the space.” Partner-based social forms are especially useful for helping dancers develop confidence and spontaneity. When you’re leading or following a partner, “the decision-making part of your brain has to become really adaptable and flexible,” Arce says. Those skills can help you make stronger choices in improvisational moments and choreographic processes.
Francine E. Ott (J. Douglas Knight, courtesy Ott)
Understanding the history of social dance forms helps dancers become better-informed artists and humans. “Swing dancing is American history,” Arce says. “Its roots are in slavery and the migration of Black people going up to the northern cities seeking freedom.” Similarly, Jacobsen discusses the birth of the hustle at the intersection of the Stonewall Riots, civil rights movement, and the end of the Vietnam War. “There was so much oppression in the ’60s, and the ’70s was about breaking it all down—this idea of freedom and liberation,” he says. “When you learn hustle, it’s so expansive and wide because that’s what it was expressing.” It’s important to consider that many styles taught in studio settings have roots in social dance, too. Hip hop and tap, for example, are largely influenced by, and can be considered, social dance forms. But in studios, these classes are often taught facing the mirror, with little to no interaction between dancers, and little to no mention of the styles’ rich histories. Seek out teachers and resources who can help you better understand the context in which these forms developed. “You shouldn’t learn a dance without understanding its social setting,” Ott says. Dancers who experience social dance forms will step into the future with new skills, a stronger desire to connect, and a better understanding of how oppressive histories have infiltrated our spaces. And they can use all of that to help the dance industry—and the world—move forward.
Arce performing at a social dance event (Byron Hon, courtesy Arce)
Social dance forms, particularly partnered styles, have inevitably been impacted by COVID-19. While dancers may be able to stay six feet apart for certain classes, that’s not possible for social partner forms. Cue the creative solutions! Arce and her dance partner, Michael Jagger, started an online Lindy Hop community and education library called Syncopated City back in 2015. During the pandemic, they’ve found innovative ways to deal with the fact that not everyone is quarantined with a partner: “We started to use stretchy bands, or walls or doorknobs, to replicate the feeling of working off something,” Arce says. They’ve also been holding discussions on Instagram to reinforce that while the physical practice of partner dancing may look different during lockdown, the form can still be studied. Jacobsen has been going live weekly on Instagram for “Hustle Monday Disco,” in which he dances solo and then invites others to submit videos of themselves dancing to the same song. He and Bendul have also been working on projects in which partner dances are adapted virtually, with cues taken from an onscreen partner. Jacobsen hopes dancers will eventually return to their IRL spaces with a greater sense of care for their communities: “I believe this is a chance, if we really honor it, to respect life more.” |