DJ’ing in Zouk festival in Warsaw, Poland. Ioana Catalina E. Photography
I remember myself at the age of 7. Hiding and dancing in secrecy. I called that dance “the arm dance”. I was moving my arms like seaweeds in all directions. Deeply inside I was super proud of it! And it just felt amazing. Mesmerizing, meditative. The view of that dance in the mirror never left my memory.
I was hiding from everyone because I was scared. I thought that what I was doing would look too weird, unconventional or maybe even unacceptable for other people. I got so much joy out of it but I feared people might imagine dance as being something in particular, not “that”. I was creating something that was my own.
Now I believe everyone has their own silly, but fulfilling dancing style. What if we would not be afraid to be silly and show our real depths to other people?
All my life I was dancing. Even when I was intensively working as a sound technician in live concerts. I would dance in the backstage while bands would perform on the stage.
I see dance as an opportunity to express something very very important. We all need that ability to be ourselves. From the depths of our being. Let it be emotions, ideas or signs.
I see dance as somewhat human body language. We can tell deep stories through it.
Dance let’s me express my gratitude and love for life.
Here are benefits of dancing I gathered through my personal experience while dancing. And still collecting more every time I dance.
Yours might be different.
Yours might be even better.
1. Physical benefits:
• One of the most joyful ways to achieve & maintain physical fitness;
• It’s a sport while not being a sport;
• Improves posture and coordination;
• Promotes flexibility, strength and muscle tone;
• Helps to understand & refine motor skills;
• Encourages maintaining a healthy body;
• Teaches to love & respect your body and its present capabilities;
• Through discipline and time you can greatly improve your physical capabilities;
•Ultimately, after training, you can step out of your thoughts and just trust your body.
2. Emotional benefits:
• Artful way to express your inner emotions;
• Joyous activity which brings smile to your face;
• Opens doors to a happier life;
• Creates connections with new people;
• Creates strong friendships and community feeling;
• Teaches love & respect to every other human being;
• Develops love for yourself because you let yourself be yourself.
3. Psychological benefits:
• Promotes emotional and psychological health;
• Helps to heal loneliness;
• Dance community is a positive & encouraging environment;
• In a good way affects the development of the brain;
• Empowering and healing;
• Develops confidence;
• Way to safely step out of your comfort zone;
• Way to start much needed inner and outer conversations;
• Helps to overcome your fears & social anxiety;
• Teaches patience;
• Improves focus and ability to maintain attention;
• Dance is one of the cheapest therapy.
4. Expression (being yourself) benefits:
• Dance lets your inner expression free;
• You can free up all of your emotions;
• In some dances like ecstatic dance you can dance in absolutely anyway you like;
• Anyone can create their dance by the way they like to move;
• Techniques and moves are as words – enriching your dance language and teaching you how to connect your expression to others;
• In social dance you can create a dance together with another person;
• You can tell your true story while dancing;
• It’s a beautiful art form and you are the artist.
5. Mental benefits:
• Helps you relax;
• Dancing grounds you to the present moment & your body;
• Teaches you how and when to surrender;
• You can feel like you are an exploring child again;
• When you learn something new you build new neurological connections in your brains;
• Teaches self-discipline, builds your character;
• You gain greater understanding of non-verbal communication through movement and body language.
I am DJ and dance teacher. Facilitating dance classes, workshops on connection & co-creation, Brazilian Zouk, ecstatic dance, contact improvisation & Tantra-dance retreats.
I love sharing my love for Dance.
Check my Facebook profile for the future events or just contact me and let’s create something where you live!
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