Dance And Body Movement Essay

Hui, Chui, and Woo (2009) describe dance as a choreographed routine of movements usually performed to music. A world wide human activity, dance integrates the coordination of intentional body movements, performed in synchronization with rhythmical stimuli, usually together with other individuals (Murcia, Kreutz, Clift, & Bongard, 2010). Alpert (2011) contends that it is this direct expression of the use of body movements and expressions that makes dance the most fundamental of the arts. Dance can be described in terms of different styles including ballet, jazz, and lyrical (Malkogeorgos, Zaggelidou, & Zaggelidis, 2011) and can be performed in a variety of locations including at home or at a park, with or without any equipment, alone, or with a group, making it …show more content…
Additionally, dance “increases the temporal and prefrontal brain activity responsible for the improvement in memory, the ability to multitask and plan, as well as improves attention” (Alpert, 2011, p. 155-156). It also requires the memorization of steps, routines, and counts, all factors that present the brain with challenges that it requires to maintain its health (Alpert, 2011). Research has shown that dance is a sustainable form of exercise that also provides positive effects in the areas of mental health and well-being (Connolly, Quin, & Redding, 2011; Murcia et al., 2010; Hui et al., 2009; Estivill, 1995). In addition to these physical, cognitive, and social benefits, dancing has also been shown to elevate mood, and increase self esteem (Hui et al., 2009; Connolly et al., 2011), while the socialization aspect of dance helps to lower levels of stress, depression, and loneliness (Malkogeorgos et al., 2011).
Dance is commonly equated synonymously with exercise (Alpert, 2011) and it is therefore important to explore dance as a form of physical activity and its relation to