Practical Applications of Ballroom Dance

Most people tend to view ballroom dancing as a luxury, something to be enjoyed once the more pressing concerns of business and family are sorted out. True, there’s no obvious correlation between ballroom dance and making a good impression at an interview, or remembering important dates on the calendar; yet dancing can help you succeed at both of those things, and many others. Let’s look at some of the ways an ‘intangible’ service like ballroom dance can improve your life.

In Business

Posture: How you hold yourself in the working work says a lot about your character. Ballroom dancing teaches you to hold your head and chest high, conveying a sense of confidence and control. Perfect for an interview or a boardroom meeting.

Faster thinking: Ballroom dancing involves lots of rapid fire decisions that must be made constantly, to respond to the music, your partner, and the people around you. These mental reflexes can then be applied to the fast-paced business environment, where a quick decision can make the difference between a new partnership or lost revenue.

Stress relief: Like our muscles, the brain needs time to recoup from a busy work day in order to perform at optimum capacity. That means finding ways to turn the brain off so you’re not still thinking about the next pay check, even after you’ve clocked out physically. Fortunately, ballroom dancing puts all your focus into your body, so your brain has time to rest and reenergize.

On the Sports Field

Strength and endurance: Although not obvious at the lower levels, dancing involves a great deal of core, back, and arm strength, which then translates into hitting that tennis ball harder, or better withstanding a football tackle. And as long evenings dancing strengthens your heart and increases your lung capacity, you’ll find you’ll be able to keep bringing your best game well into overtime.

Balance: With dancing, as in sports, you cannot respond effectively if you are off balance. If you can nail a spot turn or a lunge without loosing your footing, you can also handle the sudden changes in direction required in soccer, tennis, and hockey, without taking a tumble.

Fewer injuries: Ballroom dancing, at least outside of the competitive arena, is a sport that involves accentuating the natural movements of your body. ‘Accentuate’ in this case means gently pushing the limits of your body movement, in a way that is safe and low-impact. This increased flexibility, combined with the greater strength and endurance we discussed earlier, helps to protect your muscles and joints from the heavy demands of the sports world.

These are just a few of the ways dancing can supplement your daily activities. Tune in next week, where we talk about how dancing helps you stand out on a date, as well keep you sharp and agile well into your senior years.