Taking ballroom lessons and not going to a social dance party is similar to getting a driver’s license and not driving. When you first start dancing, sure…the parties can be a little…”intimidating”. But if you never try to get out there and practice, you will never really know what all you have learned. Today, we are going to talk about what to expect when coming to your first social dance as well as some of the many benefits to including social dancing into your weekly routine.
First thing’s first…let’s go over what to expect for your first dance party. There are going to be a lot of people at various levels in their dance training ready to dance the night away! This may be a little intimidating at first…BUT they all started at the same level as you. No one came to judge, everyone just came to dance! With the music blasting and the lights dimmed, you will not only be able to practice what you have been learning in your dance lessons without the pressure of your teacher critiquing you. You will get to observe and participate in dancing other dances that you may not be working on with your instructor as the DJ mixes a variety of music into a night of fun times with good friends!
As mentioned in our Top 3 Benefits to Group Classes post, dancing is a great social outlet for many. Social dance parties epitomize the social benefits of dancing. Scientists have proven that socialization in general boosts feelings of well-being while decreasing depressive feelings. People who are social tend to perform better on memory and cognitive tasks than those who are socially isolated. It has also shown to be a HUGE help in the prevention of dementia. According to an article in The Alzheimer’s Project journal, dancing frequently can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 76%! That is more than any other physical or mental activity.
So, with all of these benefits of why social dancing is so good for you…why not just get out there and DANCE?!?!?