When You Want to Take Some Dance Lessons

 

Dancing is one of many universal forms of art practiced around the world. The human body can move in all sorts of ways, and across the millennia, men and women have danced in many different ways and for different reasons. Many cultures use dances for religious purposes, and some dances are done solo while others are partner-based. Most popular dances today are partner-based, and this is a fine reason to take some dance lessons at local dance studios. Options for dance studios and lessons may range from learning salsa dancing to ballroom dance classes and more, and this can be a lot of fun. Not only that, but dancing is good exercise and can be a great pair-bonding activity, too. The human body naturally craves exercise, and dancing is a fine way to do just that. What else can someone expect from a few sessions at dance studios, and what sort of occasion calls for this?

Dancing and the Body

It has long since been established that exercise is very important for the human body, and that includes cardio, such as dancing. Cardio is exercise that elevates the heart rate for awhile without involving serious weight lifting or strength training. Cardio may be jogging, swimming, bicycle riding, and indeed, dancing, too. In particular, the USDA has categorized dancing as a “moderate activity” where physical activity is concerned. Adults today are recommended to get 30 minutes of vigorous activity of this level per day, so an evening going dancing can satisfy that need just fine. Meanwhile, the New England Journal of Medicine studied 11 different physical activities, and among them, only dancing was tied to lowered dementia risks. What is more, dancing as a low-impact aerobic activity that allows a dancer to burn some 200-400 calories in just half an hour, since it boosts the metabolism.

Don’t forget the mind. Exercise is linked to the human brain and mind, and there is a reason for the term “runner’s high.” Exercise can improve a person’s mood and release chemicals in the brain, and this includes dancing. Sheer science can explain why two people dancing may feel closer to each other as they dance, and not just because partner dances often involve being close by (such as waltz). This may also be why dancing classes are great date idea. So, what might guests at dance studios learn?

Different Dances

Some dances may go in and out of fashion, and some are closely tied to certain parts of the world. But in the United States, many local and imported dances alike are popular and often learned, from the waltz to the Charleston, square dancing, salsa, rumba, and others. Some are of European origin, and others are native to Latin America.

Salsa dancing is made up of many different dances combined, hence the name, and may involve moving hips and stiff shoulders. The waltz, often considered the archetypal formal dance today, involves two partners being pressed chest to chest while moving their feet in a certain pattern to 3/4 time signature music. And there’s all sorts of other dances in between. Square dancing may be popular in the American South and southwest, in particular.

Why take some dance lessons? As mentioned earlier, this is not only a fun form of cardio, but it can help two or more people feel closer afterwards, too. Dance classes are a fun, affordable staple date idea, and that’s not all. Some people may take dance classes before an upcoming wedding, since a wedding’s reception will certainly feature a dance floor and music. The dancers will want to show off and impress each other, and taking dance classes first is a fine way to learn the right moves and perform them confidently. The bride and groom in particular may want to do this for their first dance (something that everyone will want to watch), and the father-daughter and mother-son dances too.

Finally, dance classes may pay off before a senior high school prom, where classmates will want to have a good time and impress each other one more time before graduation. A prom will feature dancing, popular music, a snack and drink buffet, and even balloons that are released on the dance floor at some point.