From the beginning of time, human beings have had a longing to create something beautiful.  This desire has
been expressed in countless forms; painting, sculpting, writing, singing, architecture, to name a few.  Dance, like
all creative expression, enriches both the creator and the observer. But, dance has some benefits beyond the
obvious aesthetic ones.  Dance is good for you!  We know dance is beautiful and we know it is fun, but look at the
health benefits that dancing can generate.

Flexibility

Flexibility is an important part of being healthy, and dance requires a great amount of flexibility.  Most dance classes begin with a warm-up including several stretching exercises.  Dancers must strive to achieve full range of motion for all the muscle groups.  The greater the range of motion, the more muscles can flex and extend.  Most forms of dance require dancers to perform moves that require bending and stretching, so dancers naturally become more flexible by simply dancing.

Strength

Strength is defined as the ability of a muscle to exert a force against resistance.  Dancing builds strength by forcing the muscles to resist against a dancer’s own body weight.  Many styles of dance,  including jazz and ballet, require jumping and leaping high in the air.  Jumping and leaping require tremendous strength of the major leg muscles.  Ballroom dancing builds strength.  Consider the muscle mass a male ballroom dancer develops by lifting his partner above his head!

Endurance

Dance is physical exercise.  Exercise increases endurance.  Endurance is the ability of muscles to work hard for increasingly longer periods of time without fatigue.  Regular dancing is great for improving endurance, especially vigorous dancing such as Zumba and tap dancing.  Elevating the heart rate can increase stamina.  Just as in any form of exercise, regular dancing will build endurance and keep you heart healthy.

Sense of Well-Being

Because physical activity reduces stress and tension, regular dancing contributes to an overall sense of well-being.