Dancing Your Way To Good Health - Brief Article

Ebony, Nov, 2000

YOU either love exercise or you hate it. Some people get pumped up about working out. Others dodge it like a pothole on the street. They would rather be anywhere--even at a mother-in-law's house or in the middle of a tough exam--than sweating in a gym. But some of these same people can be found dancing the night away in the nation's hottest clubs.

Even if you're exercise phobic, the lure of a pounding bass line is hard to resist. Your head starts nodding, your feet begin tapping and your body sways and twists to the rhythm of your favorite tunes. That's the reason so many people have tuned into dance-fitness to keep in shape. It does the job as well as traditional workouts--and it's lots of fun.

Dancing, experts say, possesses the major components of any fitness regimen: stretch, resistance training and aerobics. It can burn as many calories as other workouts. It's also a holistic exercise that involves body, mind and soul. Vibing to the spirit of dance will not just boost your endurance and physical health but will also ease stress and improve your mood. How many times have you felt down, but then suddenly felt energized through the power of a good groove?

Chicago dance instructor Viola Elkins believes dance is therapeutic. She uses it in her own life to work through shadows of the past.

"I was a victim of child abuse and learned to release my pain through dancing," says the creative founder of Rhythm and Groove Exchange (R.A.G.E.).

Today, the 32-year-old dancer uses hip-hop rhythms to teach others how to transform negative emotions into positive energy.

"My students like it because it's so freeing," says the instructor who holds classes at the Evanston Athletic Club and Chicago's Lincoln Park Athletic Club. "You can be someone else for an hour. Sometimes we pretend that we're out at a club. You're just laughing and having fun and before you know it, the workout is over."

Dance brings many benefits along with fitness. Focus, grace and release are just a few of the other rewards. Each style of dance offers a different prize. Ballet may teach balance and poise. Reggae may yield sensuality and freedom. African dance may anchor your connection to the Motherland. Examine your goals to determine the right type of dance for you.

Nationally known fitness experts Constance and Courtney Bennett, who teach fitness classes at the world-famous Rancho La Puerta fitness resort and spa in Tecate, Mexico, say that dance, especially African dance, should be an integral part of every fitness program. "In order for any fitness program to work, participants must experience the activity as enjoyable and worthwhile," say the twins, who are certified fitness technicians and who teach a popular African dance class at the 60-year-old ranch, one of the oldest destination spas in North America. "This is exactly what happens when one adds dance to a movement program. Dance achieves what poetry achieves by connecting body with mind and thus transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. One is inspired, uplifted and motivated to continue."

Another perk of a dance-based workout is that people of all ages and professions, from children to the elderly, from businessmen to artists, can indulge. Many of the top Black women, corporate and civic leaders, have attended the Bennett sisters' classes. Unlike high-impact aerobics that intimidate some people with its rigor, everyone can groove.

"Dance has the same benefits as taking workout or aerobic classes, but it appeals more to the creative person who doesn't want to do the same exercises over and over," says Vanessa Carmichael-Elder, a 29-year-old dance instructor at the Joy of Motion studio in Washington, D.C., and Bethesda, Md. "In aerobics classes, it's usually just straight up and down, just military movements, but dance allows people to express themselves and get cardiovascular training at same time."

The dancer, who began training at 19, teaches a street jam class. "It's all the top-40 songs and rap music," she says. "It kind of feels like being in a club. We still do the stretches and push-ups to warm up, but then you get to dance. It's like a free-for-all, everyone is encouraging everyone else, you're dancing and having a great time. It's better than spending an hour on the treadmill."

To get the exercise benefits of dancing, you should approach it as you would any workout. Do some movement at least for 20 consecutive minutes, three times a week, for cardiovascular benefits. As with any new exercise, you should consult a doctor before beginning a regimen. Make sure that you warm up and cool down before and after each session.

Carmichael-Elder says some people are reluctant to try dancing because they are afraid to look awkward. But most dance classes are less about precision and more about expression. Just open up and move. "The first time my students try it, they may stay in the back," she says. "But as they come to class more, they slowly start finding themselves. It's beautiful to see."