As dance aficionados can attest to the fact that attending a dance performance can be a really bracing experience. From the dancers’ versatility and rhythm to the extravagant costumes and mesmerizing music, dance performances have a far-reaching appeal with a lot to offer to those of varied tastes.

Surely there are many benefits to individual’s participating in dance, as opposed to just lying back and watching.

Health & Fitness:

Something you will never experience by merely watching a dance performance, as opposed to taking a dance class or just dancing for fun, is a good old-fashioned cardiovascular exercise to get the blood flowing and the calories burning. Not only will dancing help to reduce your blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, and improve your flexibility and muscle tone, it will also help you lose weight, making that tutu fit, too well!

Self-Esteem Booster:

Professional dancing certainly requires courage, especially when performing in front of an audience. While your goals might not include gracing the Broadway stage, taking dancing classes, or just hitting a dance routine regularly or on the dance floor of your favourite nightspot, is enough exercise to release beta-endorphins into your bloodstream. The regular aerobic exercise helps to contour your body and the increased stamina and strength does wonders for your self-assurance when you walk into a room.

Exposure to New Cultures:

One of the many wonderful aspects of dance is that it transcends all cultures, connecting societal differences with the commonalities of artistic expression. And the great thing is you also get the opportunity to meet others from varied backgrounds, while all coming together in an agreeable and social activity.

Creative Outlet:

Divergent thinking is a key part of creativity, and dancing promotes this wonderfully. Sometimes it’s difficult to find regular opportunities to exercise the imagination, especially if you spend most of your day at a non-creative job. Through dance, you can flex your creative muscles and feed your inventive side. Dance allows you to come up with your own routines and lets your body channel your ideas without worrying about strict limitations or deadlines. Improvising and experimenting with new moves on the dance floor is definitely a creative highpoint that’s very achievable.

Transcend Gender Roles:

When considering dance lessons, your gender shouldn’t be a deciding factor. Traditionally, there are many cases of defined gender roles in dance, particularly in ballet, where the male dancer is always lifting the woman, even though both male and female ballet dancers have to be extremely strong. But nowadays, there are various types of dancing where these gender roles are abandoned, such as Contact Improv, where the male and female mutually rely on each other physically.

Reduce Stress:

Another great aspect of taking up dancing is that it can surely help reduce pressure in your life, no matter what type of music you choose to dance to. For example, dancing to slow music provides equal advantages to stress reduction as does dancing to a fast, upbeat tempo. As long as you are feeling the music, moving your limbs, and swaying your body, dancing will release pent-up tension and allow you to relax.

Self-Expression:

Not only can Dance get you in tune with your innermost thoughts, but it also provides an emotional outlet to express these feelings. This is so important because it strengthens your ability to channel these expressive qualities and apply them to your daily life, even when you aren’t dancing.

Reconnecting as a Couple:

Many times, the stress of daily life has a tendency of driving a wedge between couples, whether they are newly together or have been together for ages. Taking dance classes as a couple is a great alternative to traditional couples’ therapy. In a dance class, you’re discovering new steps together, often gazing into each other’s eyes while exploring sexy new ways to connect.

Fun Factor:

Perhaps the simplest, yet most powerful reason to enrol in dance classes is that it’s a heck of a lot of fun! Health benefits and stress relief factors aside, it’s hard not to have a good time when you’re dancing. Whether it’s just an hour or two a week, it’s an hour of being free from the daily grind, listening to great music, socializing, and swaying, hopping, twisting around to the beat. And if you’re having a great time doing it, that’s all that matters.

Challenging the Status Quo:

Many people might be apprehensive about trying new things. Let’s face it. Doing something you’ve never done before can be scary sometimes. Jumping into a dance class not only trains you to face your fears of the unknown, but it provides a relatively risk-free environment to experiment with and expand your comfort zone, without worrying about the need for a bungee cord!

There you have it – 10 reasons why you should dance. There are, of course, many more benefits of dancing, but we have to stop somewhere.