Follow Your Instincts and Dance!

Ever wonder why the moment you hear, say, the latest big hit, you suddenly start tapping your feet or otherwise moving to the beat? Does salsa dance music make you want to get up and shake your hips? Have you ever wanted to slink across the floor in the Argentine tango? Dancing a natural and spontaneous response. In fact, our bodies are wired to sync up our own movements to music. We were meant to dance!  Dancing is a universal phenomenon-even birds and bees dance to communicate amongst each other.

The rhythm response to dancing actually begins in your brain, where musical vibrations intensify timing circuits that prompt you to instinctively move to the music. These same circuits are intertwined with your brain's communication and memory systems. This is why certain songs can trigger emotional reactions. Have you ever found yourself crying to a particular tune?  You may begin singing, swaying and tearing up to a song despite yourself thanks to our the wiring of our brains. While it is a fact that emotion stimulates the body into movement, civilization and conditioning have taught people to suppress this natural response, but the primitive desire is there all the same.

It has been said the dancing is older than anything except eating, drinking, and love, and that rhythm is life… and rhythm is the basis of dancing. The desire to dance is one of the most primitive instincts of mankind. Primitive cultures used rhythmic movements to express themselves and say what they needed to say. In the days when speech had hardy been born, primitive people expressed their emotions by movements. They danced a kind of mime- acting out of their deepest wishes and desires. As time went on, language was developed and the immediate need for mime and gesture no longer existed. However,  the expressive movements of early humans continued. They were adapted as part of the customs of the tribe and, although their origins were not forgotten, they lived on and became the foundation of folk dances.

But while it's true that everyone "feels" the music in this way, it's also true that some people's mind-beat connection is a little stronger. Do you know those dance-loving friends who seem as if they were born to boogie? Well, they may well have been! Experts believe that genetics play a role in complex behavioral traits, however, environmental factors also have an impact. For example, if you haven't had much opportunity to dance throughout your life at parties and such, you may never know that you have a natural talent for it. While it is a fact that emotion stimulates the body into movement, civilization and conditioning have taught people to suppress this natural response, but the primitive desire is there all the same.

The good news... you don't have to have moves like one of the contestants from “Dancing with the Stars” to reap any of dancing's health-enhancing benefits. The brain rewires itself based on use. Therefore, the more time you spend on the dance floor, the more you train your brain to open those feel-good floodgates! And, thanks to all of the mental and health benefits of dancing, the more you dance, the more you will start to increase your overall sense of well-being.

Ballroom dancing is one of the most popular leisure activities in the world. It has universal appeal as dancing is both tremendously enjoyable and a great social asset. Social ballroom dancing is a fun and easy activity suited for all ages. Beginners’ dance steps can be learned quickly and can be applied to all dance floors after a few dance lessons.  If taken seriously, ballroom dancing is a challenging competitive sport. Few people are “natural” dancers, but with a little instruction everyone can dance well enough in any ballroom and enjoy all that dancing has to offer.

Couple's dancing emerged in the 15th century Europe as an adaptation of folk dancing. It was refined by the dancing masters of the time and has continued to evolve into the ballroom dances that we use today, including the foxtrot and waltz. These new dances, fun and lively in character, developed first as a social diversion among the aristocracy of France and Italy and then expanded to every royal court on the continent. The Minuet, the most stately of all court dances, originally came from the peasants of Poitou and the Gavotte from the people of Provence, both in France. The Waltz is from the Landler of folk songs from Southern Germany and the Polka from Bohemia.

During the past few years there has been an explosive growth in the interest in ballroom dancing. All age groups and the social levels are involved. As well, the image of ballroom dancers has changed. Instead of couples, formally dressed in white tie, tails and gowns, dancing in fancy ballrooms, we now see hundreds of informally dressed couples having fun in social dance studios, community centers and similar locations.

 You too can get involved in becoming a confident social dancer with dance lessons from us at Dance FX Studios. Dance FX Studios is in Mesa, Arizona in the East Valley of Phoenix. We offer dance lessons to adults, couples and singles, who are interested in Latin, Country, Swing and Argentine tango dancing. Give our introductory offer a try to see how much fun it is to learn to dance!

Dancing is in our souls and is so great for people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. So, put on your dancing shoes, grab a partner, or go it alone! You’ll be glad you decided to listen to your instincts.