The Benefits of Kicking up Your Heels

Photo by fizkes on iStock

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”
~ Martha Graham

I talk a lot on this blog about retraining your brain for better mental health, but sometimes your body offers a quicker solution to changing your mood.

Study after study shows that exercise of any kind decreases depression and anxiety by increasing our endorphins. It relaxes us, relieves stress, and boosts self-esteem. It also helps us sleep better and makes us more resilient to life’s challenges.

Dancing offers the same benefits as other types of movement, but in addition it allows us a physical expression of our emotions. As the “language of the soul,” it displays the exquisite connection between the mind and the body like few other activities. Music and rhythm play an important role, too.

Although there are some people who are hesitant to let loose in public, for most of us, that’s the best part. Whether we do it casually or at a performance level, dancing is one of those activities in which you can just get lost in the moment. When you’re in the zone, you forget about everything around you.

Perhaps because of the exhilarating feeling it engenders, dance has been around since the dawn of time, as evidenced in cave art in India and tomb paintings in Egypt. It was and continues to be performed in celebrations, ceremonies, and rituals, often religious. This page of fun facts about the history of dance details the origins of many different styles.

My relationship with dance and the joy it brings started early. From the first time I saw the movie White Christmas on TV, I wanted to pirouette “on pointe” like the little girls in the last scene of the movie. After taking ballet as a child, I cut a rug in high school musicals, took social dance and swing classes in college, and participated in a 15-hour dance marathon for charity. Years later, at a company beach party, the owner’s wife commented that I “had no off button” once the music started. I mean, how can you sit still when “Brown Eyed Girl” comes on? Yep, I was “that girl” at parties who dragged everyone else onto the floor.

My siblings all like to dance as well. When I told one of my brothers I was writing a post about this topic, he said: “Dancing is liberating.” I couldn’t agree more. When a friend who’s like a little sister to me was suffering from postpartum depression, I initiated regular dance parties in my living room with her and her son. It did us all good.

Even watching other people dance in videos can quickly brighten our moods as the music catches us and we start bopping in our seats. Here are some clips from several different countries and time periods. See if they do the trick for you:

Are you a Bride and Prejudice fan? I love this dance challenge from the Indian retelling of the classic Jane Austen story.

Remember this famous dance scene in Love Actually by the Prime Minister of England played by Hugh Grant?

After making the movie Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey didn’t dance for many years due to her insecurities. But then she became a contestant on Dancing With the Stars in 2010, and went on to win the mirror ball trophy. In an ABC interview she said, “I think you can’t be dancing and not be in joy. I think joy flows when there’s dance.” Here’s a medley of her “Perfect 10” dances from the show.

This mashup of clips from the movies of my youth (having had parents of the Greatest Generation) is set to the music of one of my favorite artists, Bruno Mars. The video editing is just incredible.

Wait for the surprise just after the four-minute mark in this compilation of precision dances, including Greek folk dances, performed by the Moiseyev Ballet of Russia. The performance starts out slowly but picks up steam along the way.

Who can forget the Gangnum Style craze, now nine years old already! Watching my hubby trying to recreate the moves from this video is a site to behold. (Love you, Hon!)

As silly as the hubs is at times, I tend to be a bit on the serious side. That is, until the music comes on…

My go-to song is Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move.” February 10th was the 50th anniversary of the release of Tapestry, which has sold an astounding 25 million copies worldwide. Did you know that Carole just got nominated for induction into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame this month? What in the world took so long?

Whether you’re flying solo, with a partner, or in a crowded household, I hope you find some time this week to have a dance party!

Affectionately,

Elaine