With the popularity of television's “Dancing With the Stars” filling up ballroom dance studios, and a USA TODAY poll revealing that a top 10 secret desire people would like to become good at is ballroom dancing, I thought I would give it a swing and let those of you who would never poke your head in the door yourself know what it's really like. In other words, I'll slip into the dancing shoes and tap on back with a report.
I also thought this might be an easy way to slide in the fact that a small but determined little group of non dancers are attempting to improve by “leaps and bounds” in order to put on a local version of “Dancing With The Stars” by June 9. Although that seems along way down the dance floor trust me it's not. I am one of the non-dancers who is lucky enough to spend an hour or so each week under the oh so patient — at least for now — teaching of Andy Blair owner of Blair's Ballroom. He and his staff are donating their time and talent to teach the other volunteers “the dancers,” (in quotes because not a one of us has ever danced before) so that we can perform for anyone who wants to come out in the spring and support the Dystonia Association of Kentucky. (You can read more about this at the bottom of the page.)
It's been reported that everyone who has competed on “Dancing with the Stars” has lost plenty of pounds. This ballroom dancing if done right may become the next big thing in the exercise world. John O'Hurley has an entire Web site devoted to how he lost weight and got fit dancing. Jerry Rice lost 15 pounds and says he wished he had danced while playing football because of all the flexibility it gave him. According to Rice, “ In addition to exercising your leg muscles, dancing also works your core and upper body. Plus you have to concentrate on maintaining proper posture — holding your arms strong and looking your partner in the eye, not looking at your feet. And all that spinning helps you develop a sense of balance you can't really get anywhere else”
But here's the reality: I am finding I need a little patience before the ballroom becomes my gym alternative.
Beginner classes start off slowly: You can spend the entire first hour doing nothing but the basic step, first in front of the mirror and then if you are in a group lesson rotating partners. The first day the only sweat that showed up on me was on my palms. But I imagine soon enough, once you learn a turn and a variation or two, you'll be moving continuously through entire songs. It's this uninterrupted movement that raises your heart rate while you're too busy thinking about the steps and having fun to notice.
Coordination skills — who doesn't need those? And as we age, and we all will, it's nice to keep those tuned up. New dancer's coordination very often improves since they are using skills they've never had before, because they've never had to use them."
I particularly liked this little tidbit I dug up. It was a study I found reprinted in Forbes Magazine and it likened the amount of calories burned during an energetic rumba to taking part in a bicycle competition or running race for the same amount of time.
Last but not least ballroom dance has been likened to Tai Chi because you must use your memory to get through combinations. Therefore it's a good mental workout.
In fact, a 21-year study on dementia and Alzheimer's found that the only physical activity that helped slow the onset of these diseases was ballroom dancing.
With less emphasis on “going for the burn” and more on having fun, dance is accessible to anyone, no matter what age you are. Our Group of Non Dancers attempting to Become dancers wants to prove that.
And if you want to lose weight, consider this — for an average person who weighs 150 pounds, ballroom dancing uses about 3.5 calories per minute. So, 45 minutes of dancing uses around 158 calories — or about half a chocolate bar.
There are many places where you can try out your steps
I'm learning at BlairsBallroom.com.
But there are dance studios and clubs all over Jefferson County and beyond. I suggest looking in the yellow pages for the studio nearest to you.
What is Dystonia?
Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder following Parkinson and Tremor. There are more than one million people affected in North America alone and one-third of those are children. It affects people in different ways.
National Public Radio host Dianne Rheum has suffered with a type of Dystonia that affects her speech. Sandra Lee Isaacs who is the brain behind this local Dancing With the Stars also battles with Dystonia.
Dystonia may cause severe, painful, involuntary muscle spasms that in turn can cause twisting or jerking repetitive movements or abnormal and uncomfortable positions or postures.
Several forms of dystonia, including one called DYT1, are due to a change in a gene. These forms can be passed from parent to child. Some cases of dystonia may be caused by exposure to toxins or poisons or to certain prescription medicines used to treat psychiatric disorders. Because of the involuntary movements and sometimes associated pain, dystonia can interfere with work and daily activities of daily living. Sometimes, the abnormal postures cause social embarrassment. http://www.dystoniaassociation.org
