Wellness Calendar: Saturday 16 August

Dance
One definition of dance is: a series of steps and movements that match the pace and rhythm of accompanying music. And yet this really doesn’t begin to tell the story of what this action can do for our wellness. Here’s another attempt at defining dance: the art of bringing many aspects of the body together for one glorious moment of joy and health.
Different types of dancing can have different effects on our body and wellness. Certain movements can make us feel more alive, expressive and orderly, whereas others can be more intimate or more sociable.
Ballet. Folk. Cheerleading. Pole. Street. Zumba. Jazz. Belly. Rhumba. Ceilidh. Line. Tap. Flamenco. Tango. Lindy. Disco. Hip-hop. There are so many styles to choose from.
Research has suggested any dance movement that gets the heart pumping for 10 minutes has the power to enhance our mood as well expand our mental capacity. It also reduces the risk of cancer, depression and dementia. In his 2020 book The Dance Cure, psychologist Peter Lovatt explores these benefits and more besides. One theme he is keen to promote is dance as a universal language: an expression of our emotions, a way of communicating, a way of being in synch with our body as well as other people’s bodies.
“Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It’s the rhythm of your life. It’s the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy.” Jacques D’Ambroise
Are you able to let yourself go through dance? Or is there something that holds you back? If there is, is it possible to explore that something? Could you dance in the dark?