Dancing Does Make You Smarter

Today, as I scrolled down my facebook, I see this.

I always knew dancing was good for you in every way, and this study proves it!  I've been dancing since I was three, and have always loved it. I love the way it makes me feel; energetic, happy, etc. I have tried to keep active over the years, and many of the things I learned to do as a dancer, I try to keep doing now. Ya know what? At the age of 55, I can still do the splits! And even though I could stand to loose a few LB's, my core is pretty strong. Not understanding that one, but, yes, I have really good balance, and I contribute that to my core; and I contribute my core muscles and the know how in balancing, and flexibility to my dance background. 

As far as mental capacity, it is so true that dance can help with that. Learning a sequence of steps, for example, helps one to develop memory.

 Funny story...so, several years ago when I was in a tap class for adults (most of us had children who were taking dance at the studio), the teacher would teach us a step. When we got that down, we would learn another step, and then a third. After having the three steps perfected, she would then tell us to put them together. I can't tell you how many times we would stand there and look at her with a blank face and then finally, someone would say, "What was the first step." See? This is how one can develop and increase mental capacity and memory. lol

This is a picture of my first recital. I am the one third from the left looking away. I am almost four here, and I remember that dress. It was green, my favorite color, and I loved it. We did a tap number to "The Ice Cream Man." 

I am grateful that my mom took me to dance classes and am thankful that I've been able to be a part of dance my whole life. Now, my daughter has followed in my footsteps with the love of dance. She is much, much better than I ever thought to be, and love to watch her in motion. Now we have a new little girl in our family, my grand daughter (my daughter's baby), and it will be interesting to see if we have yet another generation of little girls taking classes and loving dance.

My daughter ready for her ballet class so many years ago.

And here she is now in yoga poses spelling her name out

Ashley...