Danceability by Ian McKenzie

09

Feb

2007

I just checked my Macquarie dictionary and "Danceability", is not listed. Also it came up underlined in red on my spell checker. But, "danceability" should be a word, so I have just introduced it into our lexicon.

I have always had much more than a passing interest in physical activities. Physical exercise is good for almost all of us regardless of our age, or any other attributes. Studies have in fact shown that children who have a reasonable level of physical activity are much more likely to do well academically than those who don't.

Studies have shown that there is a very strong correlation between success in sports and other physical activities and success in other aspects of one's life.

Even if you don't have especially great abilities in any particular sport or other physical activity, if you remain fairly physically active, you will be more healthy than if you don't. And, from a health point of view, this level of daily physical activity does not have to be great.

But why have I wanted to coin the word "danceability"
The answer is that "DANCE" is very special.

Here are ten reasons why:

Dance is Physical
Dance is social
Dance involves physical contact
Dance is cognitive
Dance has variety
Dance is a whole of life activity
Dance is fun
Dance relieves stress
Dance is for just about everyone.
Dance is good for your physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual health.

Dance is physical.

Regular dance will improve your cardio-vascular fitness

Dance is social.

Well, OK so is Cricket and Netball, but they usually involve socialising with members of the same gender.

Dance involves physical contact.

In what other activity is it socially acceptable for a guy or a gal to hold a member of the opposite sex and whirl around in time to music?

Dance is cognitive.

Have you heard the saying, "if you don't use it you will lose it"? Well, that saying applies to that grey matter up there in your cranium, as well as perhaps to some other of your anatomical features. With dance you will need to think about moves, sequences, signals, what you are doing, what your partner is doing, in addition to what the other dancers out there on the floor are doing. And ladies, men who have "danceability" prove beyond any doubt, that men are capable of doing more than one thing at a time.

Dance has variety.

There are many different genres of dance to choose from.

Dance is a whole of life activity.

Very young children can and should dance, and should keep dancing right up into old, old age. (Perhaps with a few changes of dance genres as the years progress) Compare this with other sports such as football, or hockey or whatever.

Dance is fun.

Dancing releases those "feel-gooders" in the brain called endorphins. Yes, by dancing you can get on a high without taking dangerous drugs.

Dance relieves stress.

Any physical exercise can help counter the distress caused to many of us from the pressures of modern living. Dance is right up there at or near the top of the list of these physical activities.

Dance is for just about everyone.

Some years ago I taught a class of young wheel-chair bound Spina Bifida students to Square Dance..., And, they loved it! I did have to make a few modifications to the dance of course, but it was well worth it. Now, I don't know what your personal situation is as reader of this article. But, I reckon it would be a fairly safe bet that 99.9% of you are more able to dance than those ten and eleven year olds in wheel chairs, who were wheeling their chairs around each other to "She'll be coming around the Mountain".

Dance is good for for your physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual health.

Yep! That is a pretty broad statement to make, but it is true. And, the more that you dance and read about dance, the more likely you are to accept that it is true.

We all have reasons why we do, or do not do certain things.

I have coined this new word "danceability", because I have accumulated a significant amount of empirical evidence as to why some people dance, and others do not.

Here is some more evidence regarding my hypotheses on "danceability".

If you go to almost any dance anywhere and ask any dancer who they like dancing with, the response will invariably be "a dancer who can dance as well as I can, if not better".

The higher a person's "danceability", the more preferred that person may be as a dance partner. Now, I know that there may well be other relevant factors here. But, "danceability" is very definitely a factor in choosing dance partners.

And for heaps of other reasons also.

Most dancers would like to improve their level of "danceability".

Most people would like to dance.

Those who don't currently dance, either have never experienced the pleasure and feelings of well-being associated with dance, or their perceived level of "danceability" is too low.

One solution to each of the three scenarios listed above above is to attend dance workshops so that if your current danceability level is non-existent you will be able to get a danceability rating. If your current danceabilty is at a certain level, it can be upgraded to a higher level.

If you are reading this article and you live in Australia somewhere away from Brisbane, check out the Australian Dance Directory web site. It lists directories of dance studios and teachers right across Australia that you can contact to improve your "danceability". If you live elsewhere in the world, try All 4 Dance and Drama Directory for your part of the world and see what you can find.

Good luck!
And, happy dancing.
Ian McKenzie*