To what extent does dance positively and negatively effect the human body? Morgan Van Nest

Facts: Positive Dance strengthens many muscles at once therefore it is a very good overall workout of the body. Dancers that begin dance in the early ages of 3-4 learn gross motor skills, discipline, and self-control.

By integrating the mind and the body together, dance can be an outlet for emotional expression.

A study shows that “the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing.”

Facts: Negative The extraordinary physical demands placed particularly upon professional ballet dancers can cause injury. Dance may cause injuries such as muscle spasms, strains, shin splints, stress fractures, and planter fasciitis. As well as physical disadvantages, dance, particularly at the elite level, can cause mental stress. Dance can also put pressure on dancers to be excessively thin.

84 Lindbergh High School students surveyed Ages 14-18

“Dancing Makes You Smarter” Issue Analysis Players and Positions Belief Statements Values Healthy Living “The Advantages of Ballet” The advantages of ballet consist of allowing good posture, great core training, good overall strength, improve balance and flexibility, and it is fun. Health Social Educational Powers, Richard Stanford University “Dancing Makes You Smarter” A study shows that people who dance often are more resistant to the effects of dementia as a result of having greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neural synapses Dancing makes you smarter and increases cognitive acuity at all ages.

Issue Analysis cont. Players and Positions Belief Statement Values Disadvantages of Dance School “Disadvantages of Dance School” Dancing at the elite level can bring unhealthy emotions mentally. It can also bring about physical injuries. Health Social The Health Benefits of Ballet “The Health Benefits of Ballet” Self-confidence, connection to others, focus and concentration, and stress relief are all important life skills that one can obtain from dancing. Educational Love To Know “How Does Dancing Affect the Mind” Short term, dancing contributes to one’s overall sense of happiness. Long term, dancing can improve one’s ability to learn fast and enhance memory skills.

Issue Analysis cont. Players and Positions Belief Statements Values Kosbar, Bradley; Alcantara, Joel. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association “Post-Surgical Care of a Professional Ballet Dancer Following Calcaneal Exostectomy and Debridement with Re-Attachment of the Left Achilles Tendon.” The extraordinary physical demands placed upon ballet dancers are only now being appreciated as comparable to that of other highly competitive athletic pursuits Health “Where did ballet come from?” The Dance Academy's official site One of the most important traditional dance forms, ballet, originated in the 15th and 16th centuries within the royal courts of the Italian Renaissance. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that ballet became popular in the United States. Aesthetic: Art Form

Issue Analysis cont. Players and Positions Belief Statement Values Why Ballet? “Why Take Ballet?” In addition to physicality, dance is good for emotional and cognitive development as well as for theatrical and performance skills development. Aesthetic Social Educational

Conclusion Dance is a cardiovascular activity that improves the function of the body vastly by strengthening many muscles at once. It is a great overall work out and can improve posture and flexibility as well. Dance also progresses skills in aspects such as relating with others, discipline and self-control (in younger kids). In addition to improving aspects of physical ability, dance can also improve one’s emotional and cognitive development. It can increase the neurotransmitter serotonin which can help ward off mental degeneration such as dementia. Although dance can be very beneficial, it also has some disadvantages. The extraordinary physical demands that are placed on some dancers cause major injuries, as in any other sport. It is important not to rush into any “full out movement” and to warm-up properly and stretch before dancing in order to help prevent injuries.

Conclusion cont. Dancing at the elite level may also cause unhealthy mental thoughts. The pressure to be the very best is high and dancers tend to compare themselves to others, creating self-consciousness and the thought that one is not good enough. Dance has both advantages and disadvantages and it is important to stay informed. As shown in my collected data, dance is not very well know and people are not typically educated in this type of exercise. I hope that through this report people will open their horizons and try this activity that can have many aids and benefits.

Action Taken I have a strong belief that dance is an activity in which one can benefit from. In particular I believe that young kids learn self-discipline, self-control, confidence, poise, and social skills through dance. Because of this belief I volunteered at my studio, Arts in Motion, as a teaching assistant for a ballet/tap preschool class. In this class 3 and 4 year old dancers learn gross-motor skills, special awareness, and how to follow directions. My hope is that all of my little students continue to dance and continue to benefit from the physical cognitive advantages that dance provides.

Works Cited