Dear readers!
We do hope you have had nice and peaceful holiday season.
We wish everyone a Happy 2021. and that we soon return to our normal lives.
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For the beginning of this year, the story of how dancing actually brought us closer during the year of isolation.
At National Geographic site I found this text: „Virtual dance parties are popular. What’s behind their rise?
Creative dancers share genes with strong social communicators, suggesting that we evolved to overcome isolation“ written BY MICKELA MALLOZZI and PUBLISHED APRIL 28, 2020.
Here are just pieces of a text you can read here. Mickela beautifully explained it and I am copying here just a small part of her text:
Pandemic lockdowns might be pervasive, but not all our movements are restricted. This has led to a rise in dance, as people seek fitness, stress relief, healing—and connection. Live classes on Instagram and YouTube have proliferated. Living rooms are becoming rave scenes thanks to live-streaming dance parties. And mindfulness is taking center stage at dance therapy sessions on Zoom.
It was all happening in time for International Dance Day on April 29. This annual UNESCO-supported event celebrates dance and encourages governments to recognize its social and educational significance. The day underscores UNESCO’s commitment to dancers a cultural expression; Spain’s flamenco along with many other dances, are inscribed on the organization’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list (among them is Serbian kolo).
Choreography is a conversation. Thanks to the recent uptick in virtual events, geographically separated groups of strangers are moving in the same direction to the same rhythm without speaking a word. Recent research has proven that even our earliest ancestors recognized the health and social benefits of dance.
According to a recent study published in the Public Library of Science’s Genetics Journal, creative dancers share two similar genes with good social communicators. These researchers believe the simultaneous evolution of those genes dates back more than 1.5 million years, when group organization and communication were essential for survival. Our prehistoric ancestors who were good dancers used those skills for bonding, social interaction, and courtship. We dance to celebrate harvests, beckon much-needed rain, and bring healing.
Maybe our obsession with dance shouldn’t come as a surprise—studies prove it’s good for the brain. Not only do endorphins kick in with the physical touch and the aerobic movement of dance, but frequent dancing increases neuroplasticity, the ability to form new neural connections, which help in recovering from injury and disease. In a 21-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City found that dancing reduces the risk of dementia by 76 percent.
Here are a few ways to groove virtually.
Among them is this one: New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck, a principal dancer, hosts live daily ballet classes on Instagram. No barre necessary—just use a chair!
In conclusion, all we can tell you is: Dance!
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