5 Ways Dancing Benefits Your Life (Info From An Ex-Dancer)

Hello everyone!! :-)  Before I had my little boy in 2016 I danced for about 13 years and also learned the theoretical and historical side of it when I had Dance as a subject in school from Grade 10 to Matric.  I started with Hip-Hop and Modern in 2002 and excelled in Latin and Ballroom around 2008, getting titles up to South African champion.  In between I also took part in Ballet (this was compulsory as part of my dance curriculum at school), Contemporary, Jazz, Spanish, Irish, Gumboots and African.  Here are five ways which I have found dancing to benefit my life.

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1.  Dancing reduces stress and frustration.  Dance is a wonderful outlet to  get rid of all your daily frustrations and built-up stress. By focusing on your  body and the moves and relaxing to the music, you go into a type of zen mode which allows you to free yourself from all the day's unpleasantries and  relax.

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2.  Dancing provides a creative outlet.  Everyone in this world have some sort of creative side to them, even if it is very small.  I have seen people like this really enjoy the creative and free expressing options that dancing provides them.  As a majorly creative person myself, dancing helps me to express myself without using any words, which is very fulfilling.

Photo Credit: Freedesignfile

3.  Dancing gives you a good exercise.  Contrary to popular belief, I believe, dancing is a sport.  It requires muscle strength and fitness, the more you train the better you get, we have competitions with prizes and first, second and third places and most of all, it gets you moving.  I also played other sports (Netball, Softball, Swimming, Athletics and mini cricket - for 10 years and also with various medals and trophies) and I assure you that dancing is just as much work.  Dancing is a good exercise for all fitness levels, Hip-Hop is perfect for really fit people and Latin and Ballroom is a good social option for the less active.

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4.  Dancing is very social.  Dancing can be done on a solo basis, but is mostly done in groups.  There is no such thing as a solo in African dancing, for example, and Latin and Ballroom is danced with a partner.  This provides a nice relaxing place for you to get moving but also socialise with people and satisfy the basic need for communication.

Photo Credit: Freedesignfile

5.  Dancing is lots of fun.  I have yet to come across someone who did not find one of the vast variety of dance styles available interesting and fun.  There is a dance style out there for every type of person, for every need and for every personality.

Go and find the dance style that suits you and notice the benefits very soon!! I promise that you will be pleasantly surprised :-)

Bye bye for now,

Michelle Smillie

Let life be, let love in :)