“What do you dance?”
– Traditional African Bantu greeting to a member of another Bantu tribe
People have danced throughout history and most countries have an active folk dance genre. Our Western forms of traditional social dance stem mainly from the European dances of the late Renaissance and later, particularly from England and the Continent.
The benefits are numerous – there are many articles about its health benefits (mental, physical, and spiritual). People from diverse fields – from educators to psychologists to neuroscientists – have been studying its effects on all ages, from children through the elderly. They all agree there are many health benefits, and a lot of the articles focus on ballroom and traditional dance, especially square dance. There are recognized benefits to both the brain and the body. I will be exploring various aspects of this from time to time on my blog.
As a dance caller, I love bringing people together to enjoy the fun and physicality of dancing. Whether young or old, or somewhere in between, I always have something for everyone to do. To learn more, you may be interested in reading about my programs or some of the organizations I have worked with.
Feel free to check out the videos of the various dance styles I work with as well. You’ll find them under the Traditional Dance menu.