What’s the first thing you notice as you are walking up to greet someone for the first time? Unless they have a mohawk and dress like a 1990s workout video, odds are it’s how they hold themselves - in short, their posture.
On the dance floor, correct posture makes the difference between a confident, well-balanced dancer, and one who looks and acts unsure of himself. In fact, the little posture adjustments you will learn convey a more healthy, assured, and ‘together’ you, no matter where you are. Want to know how?
Benefits of Correct Posture
As you use the tips we'll get to later on improving posture, you’ll start noticing various benefits in your life, both on the floor and off. Here’s just a few:
- Reduced risk of injury: Correct posture means your weight is evenly distributed over your body. Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, bad posture causes extra stress on the load-bearing joints, eventually causing injury.
- Confident look and feel: Standing tall with correct posture carries a sense of confidence and assurance. It says ‘dance with me. You won’t regret it.’ And as a bonus, when you act more confident then you feel, our body automatically adjusts by raising our actual confidence as well!
- Improved balance: The more poised you are over your feet on every step, the more in control of your movements you can be while executing that promenade pivot. A balanced dancer is one who can dance with everything, and waste nothing.
- Reduced fatigue: Good poise and balance allows your muscles to move more efficiently. That means you can do more, and tire less. A must-have for those long dance nights.
- Breathe easier: Try breathing with your chin on your chest. Now raise the chin so it’s parallel with the ground and try again. Easier, isn’t it? Correct posture lets your body take in more oxygen, fueling both our mental and physical activities.
- Improved sleep: Because correct posture reduces pressure on nerves and joints, it avoids nasty headaches and pains - letting you grab more shuteye when you need it.
- Look slimmer: No, this isn’t a miracle cure for weight loss. Correct posture means stretching yourself upwards, which tucks in butt and stomach muscles to produce a slimmer look. It’s the easiest way I know to look like you’ve lost a few.
Next week, I’ll let you in on the secrets of how to perfect your posture and stand head and shoulders above other dancers.
Do you get a lot of comments from other people/instructors about your posture? What do they say?
Credits
Physioworks
Dance Class
Health Me Up
About the Author
Ian Crewe has been dancing ballroom for almost 20 years, and has a Licentiate in American smooth and rhythm. His passion for dance and his endless seeking for ways to reach new audiences eventually led him to blogging and the World Wide Web. Ian currently teaches at the Joy of Dance Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Thank you for the helpful tips. I always have a struggle with my posture. Looking forward to your next post.
Thanks, and glad you found it helpful!