The benefits of dancing has been well established, helping to improve not only our physical but also mental wellbeing. And dance holds a special place in the heart of one Touchstone IAPT clinician in particular therefore to coincide with International Day of Dance, Carlyn B, has chosen to share with you the following reflection.
By Carlyn B
I have always loved dance from when I was a small child and personally it has always lifted my mood. I have done a variety of dance from contemporary dance to street dance. A recent study in Germany looked at the benefits of dance versus going to the gym. After 16 months they saw a 15% improvement in muscle strength for people attending dance classes but not in the gym group. It stated that dancing is more holistic and comprehensive; stimulating the muscles, using the brain and your balance. So maybe hitting the dance class is a great idea.
In Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service (IAPT) we look at increasing activity and engagement in pleasurable activities to help build motivation and improve mood. Dance maybe one of those activities you may have stopped doing or are interested to get into.
There are so many different styles/genres of dance so hopefully there will be one that fits you best.
Below is list of different dance styles, have a look and see if any catch you eye and have a look if there is any in your local area to sign up to:
| Style | Genre | Country | Description |
| 4 Step RocknRoll | RocknRoll | USA | Feel the beat style RocknRoll |
| 6 Step RocknRoll | RocknRoll | USA | Tap and Step RocknRoll |
| Argentine Tango | Cultural | Argentine | Dance of Argentine |
| Bachata | Latin | Dominican Republic | Hips on Fire |
| Balboa | Swing | USA | The shuffle dance |
| Ballet | Classical | Europe | Graceful dance that tells a story or reflects a mood |
| Ballroom Cha Cha | Ballroom | Cuba | Fun, flirty, playful Cuban dance |
| Ballroom Jive | Ballroom | England | Variation of the Jitterbug, consisting of dance steps derived from country dancing |
| Ballroom Paso Doble | Ballroom | Spain (origin France) | Marching to a Spanish bull fight |
| Ballroom Rumba | Ballroom | Cuba | Slow and sensuous Latin American dance |
| Ballroom Samba | Ballroom | Brazil | A lively Brazilian dance consisting of many jumps and turns |
| Belly Dancing | Cultural | Middle East | Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance |
| Bolero | Latin | Spain | Slow-tempo Latin dance |
| Boogie Woogie | Swing | USA | European East Coast Swing |
| Break Dance | Modern | USA | Get on the Good Foot |
| Ceroc | Swing | Blend of Latin, Salsa and a two-step jive | |
| Cha Cha | Latin | Cuba | Vibrant, flamboyant and playful dance from Cuba |
| Charleston | Swing | USA | A step and swing dance from the 1920s |
| Cuban Salsa | Latin | Cuba | Type of round dancing of Salsa |
If you want to see the full list go to http://www.dancesteps.com.au/styles/
Reference
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-04-07/how-to-stay-young-become-a-dancing-dog-loving-vegan
