Dance is popular!

It is a wonderful thing to acknowledge the growth of dance and its popularity over recent years. What with popular television shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance and Got to Dance, dance is being promoted by the media as a GOOD THING. The health benefits of dance have also been drawn upon time and time again, with dance in general being one of the most optimum forms of exercise participants can take part in. Individual dance techniques and their specific benefits have also been focused on, such as the wellbeing benefits of Pilates, the strength and control required by contemporary techniques and the cardiovascular dance form of hip hop or commercial dance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MhyCANOL-U In addition to an innumerate number of benefits dance provides, it also fails to discriminate. In particular dance for older people is a large part of many Learning and Participation departments, encouraging people to engage with dance, or rediscover an earlier love for it that has long been forgotten. Recently the Royal Academy of Dance held a three-day conference entitled Dance for Lifelong Wellbeing, focusing on the distinct benefits dance can have on older members of the dance community. The conference championed keynote speaker, esteemed choreographer Gillian Lynne, an astounding 87 years of age and a lover of all things ‘activity’. Regarding statistics, involvement with dance is proven to benefit the mind, body and soul. Dance companies such as Rambert and English National Ballet are renowned for their work with the wider community, giving the gift of dance to those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, dementia and heart problems. The future of dance is not just in those tiny tots sporting their first set of ballet shoes and pink socks, it is in providing a service for people who glean so much from dance.