WHY DANCE?
- Dance is one of the activities we can choose for improving our fitness and health.
- Anyone can enjoy dance regardless of their age or background, if they are disabled or non-disabled, whether their shape and size.
- It has particular appeal to a number of groups that may not readily engage with traditional sports ( in schools) – young women and culturally diverse groups (Flint & Lammy, 2006).
- By establishing critical fundamental skills related to movement and dance (including balance and stability, non-locomotor, locomotor and manipulation), students will be provided with the tools to participate in a healthy, active lifestyle indicative of a well-balanced person beyond the years of education.
WHAT ELSE?
- The physical benefits of dance are widely accepted, but the emotional, social and cognitive attributes have only recently begun to be appreciated (The National Dance Education Organization, 2014).
- According to Flint and Lammy (2006), dance education can bring a wide range of physical and mental benefits (including healthier heart and lungs, stronger muscles, stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis, better coordination, agility and flexibility, improved balance and enhanced spatial awareness, increased physical confidence, improved mental functioning, increased energy expenditure can help counteract unwanted weight gain) as well as personal and social benefits (including improved general and psychological well-being, greater self-confidence and self-esteem, increased trust, better social skills, reduced social isolation and exclusion).
- According to Powers (2013), frequent dancing makes students smarter and dancing also increases cognitive acuity at all ages.