Dance is a practice found in every corner of the world. Almost every culture has some form of coordinated social movement practice (which we usually classify as dance). The ballrooms of Jazz’s golden age have mostly fallen by the wayside, and social dancing for today’s teens tends towards jumping straight up and down. You might otherwise think that dance classes are just for little kids who want to be ballerinas or hip hop back-up dancers. Not so! Dance can be an incredibly fun and beneficial activity for adults as well. We encourage adults to take dance classes at the Omaha School of Music and Dance—no previous experience necessary. And unlike other forms of art and exercise, you don’t need any special equipment to dance: just your body (and maybe some courage)!
Dancing gently imparts a plethora of benefits on older participants that would otherwise be hard-won….
Body Benefits
- Dance is a great cardio workout. Increasing your heart rate improves cardiovascular health.
- Improved motor skills.
- Keep joints limber and improve range of motion in arms, back, neck, legs, and hips using the extension exercises involved in dance.
- Improve balance and reduce the risk of falls, particularly in older adults.
- Burn 200-500 calories per hour! (Depending on dancer’s size, speed of the movements, duration, etc.)
- Keep knees injury-free using gentle movements and muscle building exercises with minimal impact on joints.
Mind Benefits
- Dancing keeps minds elastic and improves memory and cognitive ability – more so than other types of light exercising (i.e. walking).
- Moods can be improved through dance. Exercise floods the brain with endorphins, which causes good feelings. If you’re looking for ways to manage depression and anxiety, try dancing!
- Looking for ways to become more mindful? Dancing can be a sort of Mindfulness Meditation—the combination of movement and social interaction in a fun context requires dancers to be “present.”
- Reduce pain! Coordinating dance with other people, especially in synchronicity, increases thresholds for pain. This means the body’s ability to endure pain is increased. This is likely an evolutionary trait to encourage social interaction and cooperation.
The Omaha School of Music and Dance offers a “combo” dance class for adults. Last spring, student from the adult hip-hop class participated in the “end-of-year” recital, to great accolades. The theme of the class for the Fall 2017 session is Jazz—so get out your fishnets and stretch those Fosse hands. Visit our website or call the OSMD office to register for Adult Combo dance class. Register with a friend, and you both get an Amazon gift card!
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