Dance began with the first human cultures as a community and religious experience. Dancing was expressing oneself and the life of the community with full energy and attention. That expression and fun are seen in the toddler bobbing and stamping to music and irresistibly drawn to explore movement with dancing.

The ultimate fun for a child is exploring movement. Dance is the natural exploration of rhythm, movement, and music and that exploration is integrally connected to development of the brain
Dance is for everyone. People from every age group, physical condition, and personality type can increase their activity with dancing. The benefits are great, from brain development and focus in the young, coordination and injury prevention for the mid-life and the aging, to confidence in using the body for all ages

Dance gives permission to exercise full out. When you are having fun, there is no holding back. With the simplest step, the timid are challenged to expand and the extrovert has a way to use even the smallest movement to go for the gold.

Dance is the perfect exercise to get you coming back because you have fun at the first lesson. Learn one step and you can dance to the music and with a partner Gaining confidence is natural since beginners and experienced dancers can learn 'together and encourage each other.

Dance is a welcoming learning atmosphere where the goal is to increase the enjoyment for everyone. Learning to dance is a melting pot of the extrovert and the quiet, the athlete and the clumsy, the happy and the struggling. In a safe friendly atmosphere dancers are there to gain more confidence. The experienced dancer knows how challenging it is to build a skill that demands coordination, rhythm, cooperation, communication, and patience for your self in the process.

Exercise just happens with the excitement of dancing and the pleasure of building rhythms with the music. Without worry over being disciplined, you surprise yourself with a full body workout balancing stretch and strength, and with lots of deep breathing. Outside of the dance floor, you can take dance where ever you go. Watch the movies Million Dollar Baby and Shall We Dance to see how an athlete and a dancer learn a step by taking it into their every waking moment.

Getting started is simple. Like with bungy jumping, it may look like you can't do it. You have to step out there and take a leap. The first leap is going past the "I can't do that" phase. Dancing looks complicated and it is, but it is easy to learn when taken one step at a time. The next leap is letting yourself go enough so your unique personality comes through the dance. Dance challenges the timid to expand and the extrovert to go for it.

What are the risks? Dance is a way to explore the value of subtle use of small muscle groups and the cardio value of slow, easy movements as opposed to forceful use of large muscle groups. The parallel martial art form is Tai Chi that gives a strenuous work out with extremely slow movements.

What gear is needed? Every form of dance has its own attire that may vary for comfort and personal style. Most forms of dance require dancing shoes that reduce stress on the body while turning and sliding.

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