WHY DO WE DANCE? HERE IS A LIST OF THE TOP 10 REASONS…
1. Swing dancing is good exercise
Dancing is a great way to get fit. As an aerobic, cardio workout it can reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. Dancing can also improve your balance, stamina, flexibility and muscle strength.
2. Swing dancing is good for your mental health
Aside from physical movement, dancing is a social activity that promotes emotional expression and creativity. It can also improve your self-esteem and lower your stress levels. In studies, frequent dancing has been shown to offer protection against dementia in later life. Added to that, the neurochemicals released by exercising give you a sense of well-being with NYGoodHealth and a want to do it again…Which might be why dancing is so addictive!
3. Swing dancing is great for meeting new people
From meeting other students at your first swing class, to having great dances with people you meet at a social, to catching up with old friends at international dance camps… the swing dance community is globe-spanning and super friendly! You can get to know some of the London scene at our Social Events!
4.Swing dancing allows you to challenge yourself
Whether it’s being able to social dance with lots of people, nailing your first aerial, learning a routine, or entering competitions, swing dancing gives you the chance to push yourself and be proud of what you’ve achieved.
5. Swing dancing takes you to amazing places
Sure, there are dance camps all over the world (dancing on the Great Wall of China, anyone?), but even back at home, we’ve had the chance to dance in some incredible venues. In 2013 alone we danced at Wilton’s Music Hall, Bloomsbury Ballroom, The Troxy and even Buckingham Palace!
6. Swing dancing helps you connect to people
We need more physical contact. Science says so. In his TEDtalk, Paul “Dr Love” Zak says that people with higher levels of oxytocin are happier and “have better relationships of all types”. Oxytocin plays a big role in bonding and is release through activities like hugs, massages and, you guessed it, dancing!
7. Swing dancing’s the most joyful dance in the world!
“Now, this is what happened to me and some of the other Lindy Hoppers coming up. We were always in the Savoy, day and night, and we danced and danced and we danced. And we didn’t have time to take drugs or drink whiskey and all of that stuff. Our high was dancing. “Say, you wanna get high?” “Yeah, man, let’s go up and listen to Chic Webb.” That’s how we got high.” – Frankie Manning
8. Swing dancing is like physics!
From a recent Guardian article claiming “Great partner dancers may not know it but they are masters of space, time and Newton’s laws of motion” to the talk at TEDxWaterloo conveying the exponential speedup of a quantum computer, science + Lindy Hop = awesome.
9. Swing dancing makes you smarter
The New England Journal of Medicine published a report on the effect of recreational activity on mental acuity in ageing. Frequent dancing appeared to not only offer greater protection against dementia but it also increased cognitive acuity across all ages. When you social dance you make very quick decisions as to what the possibilities are. “Making as many split-second decisions as possible is the key to maintaining our cognitive abilities”
10. Swing dancing connects you to history
While dances evolve, there has been tremendous effort of the part of so many over the years to preserve the original aesthetic, moves and spirit of swing dancing. Whether it’s Charleston, Lindy Hop or any other African American jazz dance, swing dancing has a very real, very physical connection to a history few of us experienced first hand.
