Why Dancing is a Crucial Component of Education
When I talk to new clients and colleagues, they often ask me about dancing. My explanation for why I’m a salsa fanatic goes something like this: When I first started dancing salsa, I couldn’t follow and would awkwardly lead myself. This made partner dancing difficult. Thanks to the patience of men, I slowly learned, over two years, to follow. This changed me as a student, leader, and human being. I became more supple, mindful, collaborative, and open.
Here’s the thing when you go to a salsa club for social dancing: you don’t always know what song is going to play, how long it is, who you will dance with, what their dancing style is like, whether you will share chemistry or rhythm, and so much more. You show up, accept the offer of dance, trust, and flow with the music. You are present with the connection you establish with your partner. It’s a powerful way to get to know someone for about three minutes without speaking, but with movement and mirth. You learn to laugh at yourself. You become humble and receptive. You become compassionate when your partner is less skilled or more nervous than you. You commit to the song and to the experience. You get to know people through dancing with them. Above all, you find joy, and relieve stress.
As a facilitator, coach, and researcher, dancing has honed my skills of listening to what is not said, moving with the client’s rhythm, and finding solutions that are embedded in the shared experiences. It is heartening to see recent research showing that physical activity in general improves memory, concentration, and classroom behavior, while dancing in particular does indeed improve empathy and teamwork.
One of the many critiques of education systems is that it focuses too much on memorizing and regurgitating facts and not enough on creativity. Dancing provides opportunities for instilling that creativity in a fun, physically active process that has myriad benefits for your children. If you haven’t enrolled your child or yourself in a dance program, do it today.
In case you’re interested, I’ve written before about how dancing fights aging. If you like what you’re reading, drop me a note and we can chat further.
This is a picture from when I took Mom (Margaret) salsa dancing. At first she was shy but when she started dancing, her joy was palpable. We shared this moment of sheer bliss together. Photo Credit: Ted Trujillo