{"id":12834,"date":"2022-10-10T16:04:50","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T16:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=12834"},"modified":"2022-10-11T13:27:18","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T13:27:18","slug":"ballroom-dancing-good-for-your-body-mind-and-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/fall-2022\/ballroom-dancing-good-for-your-body-mind-and-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballroom Dancing: Good for Your Body, Mind, and Soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ballroom dancing is something many of us have been exposed to by the time we reach older ages. Some continue, and others have left it in the rearview mirror.<\/em><\/p>\n

Did you know that ballroom dancing can make you smarter?<\/em><\/p>\n

One professional ballroom dancing champion, Anastasia Muravyeva, says yes. And, she should know with her credentials.<\/em><\/p>\n

Muravyeva is a retired US and international professional ballroom dancing champion. She was intro-duced to ballroom dancing in Russia at three and continued as an amateur until she moved to Ukraine and became a professional champion.<\/em><\/p>\n

After the US Dance Federation invited her to the US to represent the country, Anastasia won major titles in the US and abroad, including becoming a four-time World Cup professional champion.<\/em><\/p>\n

She has traveled to over 30 countries and five continents for competitions, performances, and teach-ing. She frequently lectures on dance-related topics for universities in the US and globally, such as Harvard, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, and Beijing University.<\/em><\/p>\n

As a choreographer and style coach, she created various shows for professionals with their celebrity partners for Dancing with the Stars (ABC) and choreographed show numbers for So You Think You Can Dance (FOX). She became the face and brand ambassador for several high-end international brands through dancing and modeling.<\/em><\/p>\n

After retiring, Anastasia turned to the business side of dancing. She overlooks a portfolio of the largest dance competitions across the US. She also co-organizes The Hollywood Championships, one of the biggest ballroom dancing competitions. She is the founder and CEO of Dance N Dazzle, a prestigious entertainment agency launched in 2022. She is also the founder and CEO of Dancing Hearts, a non-profit that provides dance activities for underprivileged kids.<\/em><\/p>\n

During the pandemic, she led several charitable campaigns to assist dancers in need. She also pivoted to venture capital, real estate, and stock market investing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read on to learn about Muravyeva\u2019s viewpoint on why ballroom dancing might be right for you.<\/em><\/p>\n

By Anastasia Muravyeva<\/p><\/p>\n

M<\/span>any people, even professionals, assume that ballroom dancing is primarily a physical activity.\nDancing is complex, however, and provides significant stimulation for our brain. It activates new neurological connections and makes us \u201csmarter.\u201d Some studies have shown that dancing reduces stress, increases levels of serotonin, the \u201cfeel good\u201d hormone, and rewires our brain to function in a new way.<\/p>\n

As a former professional ballroom dancing champion, I experienced those benefits throughout my life and career. I began dancing when I was only three years old and never stopped dancing until my retirement in 2021. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without it. I encountered many obstacles during my professional journey, including winning, losing, and winning again. Dancing has been my salvation by giving me emotional support, the benefits of physical activity, and an overall purpose in my life.<\/p>\n

Ballroom dancing is a beautiful and multi-faceted activity that seems easy from a spectator\u2019s perspective but is incredibly demanding if you choose it as your profession. Here’s an experiment you can run yourself: go to YouTube and watch one of my many professional dance videos.<\/p>\n

Do you feel as though you could dance like that? Maybe you’re tempted to grab your significant other and hit the floor. But there’s a catch: it\u2019s impossible to stop once you\u2019ve tasted ballroom dancing!<\/p>\n

Your body will love it, and your brain will keep asking for more! Every dancer knows and understands how emotionally he or she is attached to this mesmerizing art form and physical activity. But\u2014what if there is even more to it? What if dancing not only helps us physically and emotionally but also develops our intellect?<\/p>\n

Dancing is an unusual physical activity because it increases the body\u2019s neural connectivity by integrating several brain functions: logic\/reasoning, music, kinesthetic, and emotion. Your brain is working because you must remember the dance steps, hold your partner\u2019s hand, and execute the moves while listening to the rhythm of the music.<\/p>\n

How amazing is this\u2014while you are practicing your favorite moves with your partner, your brain is busy developing new neurological connections and activating the process called neuroplasticity.<\/p>\n

With over 20 years of teaching experience, I have observed the benefits of ballroom dancing in my students, including even those in their nineties. Ballroom dancing is a unique and inspiring activity you can enjoy at any age. It improves your emotional health by helping you stay socially active and contributing to personal growth.<\/p>\n

Dancing has been shown to benefit older adults, specifically those experiencing pathological problems, significantly. Dancing can enhance and improve cognition function for diseases like Parkinson\u2019s and Alzheimer\u2019s. In a study published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/a>, dancing was correlated with a 76% reduced risk of dementia compared to other sports and activities like reading and walking.<\/p>\n

Amazingly, dancing was twice as beneficial as reading. Even doing crossword puzzles four times a week, recommended by many experts, resulted in only a 47% reduction. Cycling and swimming were unfortunately shown to have no benefit.<\/p>\n

Ballroom dancing, like any sport, is rewarding and challenging because of its physical demands. I remember periods of intense training, such as when my partner and I were preparing to compete in the World Cup professional ballroom dancing championship.<\/p>\n

We had won it three times, and the pressure was high. Another time was preparing for the US National Championships the year before we retired since we wanted to maintain our championship status. Winning the Blackpool Dance Festival, the world’s most prestigious dance festival, required enormous preparation.<\/p>\n

In each instance, we practiced over six hours a day. That hard work paid off when we won each of the competitions and secured our legacy for many years afterward. It was hard physical work and demanded significant dedication, but it never seemed like it because I was so focused on the activity\u2019s joy and the dance\u2019s details. You may find that the pleasure factor outweighs your physical efforts and offers immeasurable value to your brain.<\/p>\n

To sum it up, dancing allows your mind and body to flourish, all with the added benefit of giving you a lot of enjoyment and pleasure throughout the process. Therefore, why would anybody ever stop dancing?<\/p>\n

To learn more about Anastasia Muravyeva, see her on LinkedIn<\/a> and Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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