Dance Your Way to Improved Flexibility

The physical benefits of dancing have been discussed in many of our blogs, touching on how dancing can improve your muscle tone, coordination, and even provide some cardio work in more rigorous dances. We have also mentioned how your flexibility can be improved when you dance, and today we will discuss this a little further. Flexibility is something that many of us fail to maintain. We all lose some of our flexibility as our bodies age, but dancing can help you stay flexible and discover how important it is to maintain the elasticity and resilience of your muscles. At Dance FX Studios, we make sure that our students stay healthy and comfortable while becoming skilled social dancers, and stretching is a very important aspect of a dancer’s regime. 

Without regular stretching and exercise, you can lose flexibility in your joints and muscles as the years pass by. Stiffness begins to build up and can prevent you from doing everyday tasks safely and comfortably. Arthritis can manifest when this happens, and this is both uncomfortable and unhealthy. Dancing requires you to move your whole body, exercising various muscles and getting them to move in all directions, improving your flexibility and muscle tone. Dance with big, sweeping movements like those in the Argentine Tango, stretch your muscles and joints. Those with faster, smaller movements like the Country Swing require quicker, shorter muscle contractions, which aid in agility and resilience. Variety is the spice of life; learning multiple dances will give your body the most benefit and will also keep you and your mind on your toes.

Spine flexibility is another aspect of muscle and joint health that we often leave by the wayside. Between school, desk jobs, watching TV, and other sedentary acts of our technological modern lives, our spines and necks are many times out of alignment and out of shape. This can cause pain and discomfort in people of all ages. Ballroom dancing can help! With proper dancing in lessons, you can work your core muscles and strengthen your spine and neck’s support system. Constant weight shifting, changing direction, and whole body movements will improve your balance while exercising your core muscles, neck, and spine. The movements required on the dance floor will move your muscles, as will the stretching exercises you do off the dance floor, improving flexibility in no time!

You will quickly see improvements in joints, muscles, and ligaments all over your body when you take regular lessons and stretch consistently at home. Different types of dances require different muscle movements and body positions, so by learning and practicing multiple dances, you can experience a larger spectrum of benefits. The sweeping Tango, quick Country Two Step, and fun Jitterbug all offer a different type of exercise and benefits. No matter what type of dance you want to learn, your body will improve after continuous lessons! Try our $40 Introductory Offer to get a taste of what dance has to offer, or if you know you want to jump right in, take a look at our specials on our Gift Cards page. Today is the day to get up off your couch or chair and get moving, so call us today!

Why Everyone Should Partner Dance

Social ballroom dancing is just the best. Everything about it is simply great. Of course, dancing by yourself can be a blast, but nothing quite matches the intimacy and creativity of partner dancing. Here at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, AZ, we see dance transform lives daily. Whether it's a single guy learning to  Country dance, a couple trying their hand at Argentine Tango, or a single lady who is learning to get her hips moving with some Latin dancing, the end result is the same - happier, healthier people! Everyone has something to gain from partner dancing, they just may not know it yet. Social partner dancing helps you...

Look Better

Dancing is incredibly active - especially dances like Salsa and Jitterbug. Swing dancing can burn as much as 550 calories an hour (or more if you get really into it). That's a pretty sweet, not to mention a fun, cardio workout. Salsa lessons burns around 405 an hour, and even slower ballroom dances can burn between 150 and 320 calories an hour.

Even if you aren't in it for the athletic side of things, private dance lessons can help improve posture, balance, coordination, and even add a bit of grace.

Feel Better

Did you know dancing triggers the release of endorphins? Just like any other exercise, dancing helps your brain release those feel-good chemicals to brighten your mood. Dance also has the added bonus of music, which already tends to lift spirits on its own. It's like the perfect dose of endorphins and sometimes adrenaline (if you are actively trying to impress someone). We also gain a lot of confidence through partner dancing.  Not only do we have a super fun skill, but we are constantly affirmed by the dancers around us. There's nothing quite like hearing "yes" from everyone (or just about everyone) you ask to dance. Knowing how to Country Two Step or Foxtrot is quite the confidence booster!

Communicate Better

Have you ever heard someone say that dancing is like another language? Because it is! Dancing is a great way to express yourself, but on a whole new level with ballroom dancing. You are no longer just expressing yourself, but you are communicating physically as a leader and a follower. By honing in on these nonverbal skills, we learn to truly listen to our partner.  We also create a much deeper sense of trust between leader and follower - he IS telling her where to go and what to do, after all.

As much as I love talking about how great partner dancing is, it's not the same as finding out for yourself. Come visit us in Mesa, Arizona just off the 60 and the 101 freeways. If private dance lessons aren't for you, we also have awesome group dance classes as well as Zumba fitness classes with incredible certified instructors. Call us at 480.968.6177 or email us at info@dancefxstudios.com to see what we're all about. Already know how to dance? Join us for a Country Dance Party on April 12, 2014!

Social Ballroom Dancing vs. Competitive Ballroom Dancing

Competitive Ballroom Dancing can be seen on shows like So You Think You Can Dance and movies like Silver Linings Playbook and Mad Hot Ballroom. Some of the dancers shown are extremely talented and compete very seriously. Others compete as a hobby and are not quite as intimidating at the more competitive dancers. Social Ballroom Dancing can be seen virtually anywhere. A bar, a wedding, a club, even in the streets of places like Madrid, Spain and Cuba! There is more variety and more room for personal touches in Social Ballroom Dancing. Dance FX Studios can prepare for any social dancing setting! In Mesa, Arizona, just off of the 101 on Guadalupe and Dobson Roads, we teach Social Ballroom Dancing and have prepared our students for Country Swing dancing at bars around the East Valley, taught the Argentine Tango to clients who want to dance with strangers abroad and choreographed some pretty exciting wedding dance routines. Social Ballroom Dancing is a useful, fun skill to have that you can take anywhere!

When Social Ballroom Dancing, there is less pressure on the dancer than there is in Competitive Ballroom Dancing. Both in lessons and out dancing in social settings, Social Ballroom Dancing is all about just having fun. You get to let loose, enjoying yourself and your partner's company. There is no pressure to win an award or to be the best dancer on the floor. Competitive Ballroom Dancing focuses on technicalities like poise, the hold or frame, posture, musicality and expression, timing, body alignment and shape, floor craft, foot and leg action, and presentation. Phew! With Social Ballroom Dancing, there are only two measures of success: no one gets hurt and everyone is smiling! Sounds like a better, less stressful set of standards, does it not?

Between the two types of dancing, Social Ballroom Dancing is arguably less expensive. Social Ballroom Dance lessons and outings cost less than Competitive lessons, dance gear, and competition expenses when you add it all up. There are travel expenses, costumes, dance shoes, competition entrance fees and more involved with Competitive Ballroom Dancing. With Social Ballroom Dancing, social outings like bars and clubs might have a cover and you might spend money on a few drinks (or not!), but costumes and multiple pairs of dance shoes are not necessary. Plus, with our great deals on lessons like our Introductory Offer and  Valentine's Day specials, you can learn to dance at a bargain!

The world of Competitive Ballroom Dancing is remarkable, but we love sharing Social Ballroom Dancing skills with our students. With social dance skills, you can go anywhere and dance your heart out! You don't need a ballroom floor or a set of judges to dance the night away (though dancing on a ballroom floor does make dancing easier!). At Dance FX Studios, we are confident we can show you how fun and rewarding Social Ballroom Dancing is in just one lesson! Come learn to dance and get ready to groove wherever your two feet take you!