The best thing about ballroom dancing is that anyone can do it.
Ballroom dancing does not discriminate against age, gender or nationality; it welcomes all with open arms.
When done with the right attitude ballroom dancing will add energy, enlightenment and enjoyment to your life. It will also give you 10 advantages that will further enhance your life and take you and your life to a new level.
But before I give you those 10 advantages, it’s important to know that
Ballroom dancing dates back to the 18th century and is growing in popularity every day.
Every day more than 100,000 people participate in ballroom dancing -all over the world. These dancers ranged in age from 3 to 4 in schools such as World DanceSport Cebu to 99 year old Tao Porchon Lynch who danced at an event in Mumbai in 2017.
By 2014 ballroom dancing had become a 2.1 BILLION dollar a year industry. And with the popularization of shows like Dancing With The Stars, that number is skyrocketing every day
So if you’ve ever wanted to ballroom dance (and you know you did) but think I can’t do that, or I’m going to look silly, or nobody wants to dance with me. I’m here to tell you that those thoughts are simply not true.
The ballroom dance community is one of warmth and here to encourage and support you.
And if you’ve been dancing for a while, you know that a day without dancing is like a day without sunshine
So, here are the top ten advantages you get when you go out and ballroom dancing.
#1: Build Your Confidence
Most of us have heard our mothers or teachers tell us “Sit down” or “Keep your head up.”
Learning to ballroom dance not only gives you dancing skills but also builds your confidence both on the dance floor and off the floor. You learn how to hold the dance frame by lifting your head, back straight, arms at the right level and holding your ribs properly.
It will make you look taller and you feel lighter which makes you feel good. Something as simple as feeling good about yourself opens up a new you.
You will slide on the floor like you are on top of the world and you don’t want to get off. These feelings will overlap even when you are walking down the street.
Kids love it when they feel taller and feel like they can fly. They are also true learners and have the ability to build their confidence faster than adults. They are not afraid of making mistakes and never get tired of repeating a dance move several times to get it right.
As my dance instructors often say, “My friends keep telling me to relax, but I tell them, I’m relaxed, I just have good posture”.
Now that’s confidence!
#2: Leading Your Partner
In addition to holding their frames, the men learn how to lead as well as how to ask the women to dance. Guys will tell you that this is no easy feat (no pun intended) not only do they have to master the dance steps, listen to the beats of the music, but they also have to figure out where they need to go and lead the couple that follows them. .
By learning how to lead their dance partner, they will tell you that they learned how to lead their partner and they love it, their children and their friends!
And, Following Your Partner
My instructors will tell you that independent women are not easy to teach how to follow. I know this first hand because I am one of them. Women must learn to follow their partners even if their partners make mistakes. In dancing you learn how to trust your partner and listen to your partner.
Only in dancing do you not only use your ears to listen, you listen with your whole body. If you don’t trust and listen to your partner to lead you, missteps can happen. If this happens, you will find yourself falling to the floor and taking your partner with you.
#3: Improve Physical and Mental Health
Social dancing provides the body with many health Benefits of Ballroom Dancing is no different. Dancing excites your body and reduces stress, increases energy, helps tone muscles and increases mobility and flexibility.
Dancing requires precision to execute dance figures and dance steps in motion; it helps your mind and muscles in coordination and balance.
Paying attention to your partner’s body language teaches you to stay focused and pay attention to details to build and increase brain power.
#4: Expanding Music Listening
We all grew up listening to music and we can all say that I love that music. In dancing you learn different types of “listening to music” and I call them “Music Listening Classes”
As the Music begins, here are some questions Ballroom dancers need to answer:
1. What dance is that?
2. Which is the dance beat?
3. What is the tempo?
4. What is the time?
5. What is the rhythm?
For each dance, these questions will have answers that are unique to that dance and your dance level.
#5 Inviting Competition and Forcing a Show Case
Most Dance Studios encourage their students to perform and compete. It gives students motivation to improve their dance and takes it to a different level. For some students their goal is to compete and there is an active competitive circuit from beginner to professional level. Other students can do a case show on a topic they are passionate about or their favorite dance. In both cases, dances were choreographed following ballroom dancing guidelines.
By constantly wanting to improve your dancing, it instills a certain mindset in your life that you will always want to do your best!
#6: Your Friends and Family Will Be Interested and Impressed
Admit it, most people like to be the center of attention and that’s a good thing.
People are surprised, intrigued and impressed, -when you tell them you are going to class to learn to dance especially when you are an adult or a grandma like me. But when, until you invite them to one of your shows and they see you sliding on the floor! They will ask “How did you do it? How do you know when to turn?” “I didn’t know you could do lifts like dancing with the Stars”
These questions are invaluable for an amateur dancer or social dancer. You will love it!
#7: Gives a Sense of Achievement
Be prepared to laugh at your mistakes and learn from them too. Learning to ballroom dance is like learning to walk except you forget how many times you fell as a baby to actually learn to walk.
You have to be prepared to fall many times but this time you have a name for it “mistake”. But if your goal is to learn to dance, you will repeat and correct those mistakes and feel grateful like a child when you get it right. This will give you a great sense of accomplishment.
And by laughing at your mistakes, you will release serotonin, making you feel young and happy!
#8: You Can Dance Anywhere in the World
Ballroom dancing is very popular in every corner of the world. Some countries are more actively involved in dancing than others. In some countries ballroom dancing is the specialty, but you’re sure to find a dance hall or studio somewhere.
You also don’t have to understand the words of the song just the music. My first show case was on a foreign language song but the beat of the music was perfect for the story I wanted to tell. That was six years ago and I didn’t bother figuring out what the words of the song meant because I was conveying my own message in the dance.
#9 You Can Dress Up and Look Glamour
In a world where wearing jeans has become accepted as the norm having a reason to dress up is a welcome attraction. Women’s ballroom dresses have also evolved. Men can still wear tails but their fashion has evolved. But it’s the preparation that makes it worthwhile. Shop, fit and find out the best dress for every refreshing dance.
Plus you can get creative and decide what you want. It helps you stand out more. All that energy lifts you up and takes you to a better place, a place of well-being.
#10: You meet People
Ballroom dancing attracts all kinds of people from all walks of life. Their goal is to relax from their busy lives and have fun doing it. No matter what level of dance you reach, you’ll have a lot of fun. From beginners taking to the floor for the first time, often with facial expressions, to seasoned professionals.
The rule of thumb for ballroom dancing is “You can’t say NO when asked to dance” so even if you’re new to it and someone asks you to dance, say “Yes” (Women ask men to dance too). People who ask you to dance will dance to your level. Remember everyone start.
