Did you know that social dancing dates back to primitive cultures, where people used it to celebrate births and deaths in their community? Over the centuries, it has been enjoyed by many cultures as a means of connecting with others, flirting and having fun. Although sometimes referred to as “scandalous” for its sensual movements, (if you have seen Argentine tango danced, you’ll know what I mean), social dancing is here to stay and is as popular as ever!

Social dances, like Salsa, Swing and Country dancing, are all about impromptu movements danced between partners, a leader and a follower. The positive benefits of social dancing are endless, which is why it is still a hit amongst young and old alike.

Touted as an “all in one cure” for the blues, social dancing has turned many a frown upside down. Interestingly, many doctors have prescribed social dance lessons for those who are going through a divorce. For Dan Carper, a contractor who turned to social dancing after his divorce more than a decade ago, it’s “like pushing the reset button. No matter how hard your day is, five or 10 minutes after you’ve started dancing, you leave everything behind. If I am dancing, I am happier and things in my life are going better,” says Carper, 58, of Tujunga. “There’s definitely a mind-body connection. When you mesh with someone, it’s as if you are one.”

At Northwestern University in Illinois, engineering students are encouraged to learn to Swing dance to help them balance their left-brain analytical side in order to flex their creative side. And, at Cal State Long Beach, social dance lessons are offered to students who are not making the grade. The intention is to get them out of their funk and therefore improve their chances of succeeding in school. The results were astounding! “The turnaround for them (the students) is night and day. They’re not depressed anymore,” says Phil Martin, a dance instructor at Long Beach since 1983. “One student wound up taking my class every semester … and told me that his grades had gone from Cs and Ds to A’s and Bs.”

In a nutshell, social dancing is for everyone. In addition to being a mood enhancer, dancing strengthens the immune system, increases the ability to deal with stress and is romantic to boot. If you’re wondering  why you haven’t been social dancing and you’re ready to join in the fun, contact us at Dance FX Studios in Phoenix, Arizona. We would love the opportunity to make you a confident social dancer!