Many different categories of art are practiced around the world, ranging from singing to musical instruments to poetry, and dance in particular has captured the imagination of the entire world. Dances of all sorts have spread around the globe, with some dances being relatively new styles and others dating back centuries. Some dances are an amalgamation of other styles, such as salsa dance from Latin America, and others, such as the waltz, have become formal dance staples. In some pre-industrial cultures past and present, dancing is sometimes use for religious purposes, but for the most part, today’s dance class students are looking for a way to impress their partners on the dance floor. Salsa dancing, the waltz, the bride and groom dance, rumba, and much more can be taught at dance studios and dance classes, and to great effect. Someone new to this might search online to find classes nearby, with a resident of Dedham, Massachusetts searching for “ballroom dance lessons in dedham MA” to find an upcoming class. Aside from “ballroom dance lessons in dedham”, someone might look up “salsa classes in Massachusetts” or “square dancing class in Dallas TX”.

The Benefits of Learning to Dance

There are many good reasons to try out dancing, and one of them is simply for health. After all, while dancing is fun, it is also a very real form or cardio or aerobics, and this makes dancing a healthy activity to do for anyone. The USDA has categorized dancing as a “moderate activity” based on its physical activity guidelines, and an adult needs 30 minutes of exercise per day. Thus, even a short dance session can keep a person in good shape, and a whole night of dancing can burn a lot of calories. Just 30 minutes of dancing might burn 200-400 calories or so. Meanwhile, the New England Journal of Medicine considered 11 different physical activities in a study, and found that dancing in particular is tied to a lowered risk of dementia. Not to mention how exercise like this can improve heart health and lower the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dancing can also provide a mental boost. The human body is in fact engineered for exercise, and chemicals may be released in the brain when a person exercises, and that includes dancing. This is similar to the “runner’s high,” and a person may feel good about themselves and their partner after they have done some dancing. This may be a reason why dancing has proven itself a popular date activity; not only will the two partners learn a dance to impress each other and their friends, but the release of chemicals may make them feel good the whole time. For good, fun exercise, someone in New England may search “salsa dance lessons Vermont” or “ballroom dance lessons in dedham” to find some classes to try out. They can even specify “ballroom dance lessons in dedham for wedding” if they want to.

When You Should Dance

It is clear that dancing has all sorts of health benefits, but naturally, a person will learn to dance not just for their cardiovascular health, but to impress other people, too. Many people pride themselves on how well they dance, and dancing can be a fine way to to make a good impression and boost social standing. This may have been more pronounced in Baroque and Neoclassical Europe (such as in Vienna), but even today, many people will want to show off good dancing skills to impress others. This may be true at a high school senior prom, a wedding reception, a countryside festival, and more. Most wedding receptions call for a dance (often hours of it), and many high school students look forward to prom.

Most dances are partner-based, and vary in formality and tone. The waltz and ballroom dancing are often the most formal dances, often considered the classic form of formal dances. These may be practiced for a wedding reception in particular (though wedding receptions often mix in more casual music and dancing, too). Other times, students might learn the tango, salsa, rumba, and other dances, or learn how to square dance. This form of dance is popular in the American South and Southwest in particular.

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