Elegant Dancing

As a small, privately operated dance studio we can offer expert instruction in a calm, relaxed atmosphere.  You'll enjoy dancing to your own music, learning at your own pace.  Private, semi-private, and small group classes are available.

Ballroom Dancers Waltz to Healthier Hearts  

From an interview with NPR        March 5, 2007

For those who love it, ballroom dancing beats a dull workout on the treadmill. And now, cardiologists are also realizing just how powerful the dance workouts can be.
Italian researchers have found that just 21 minutes of dancing, three times a week, can match the cardiovascular benefits from working out on a treadmill or bicycle.
Instructor Chris Thompson of "Elegant Dancing" says ballroom dance techniques work because they automatically emphasize good health.
"It's not only aerobic, it's [also] isometric," he says. "One of the most important things we stress is posture, posture, posture."
Thompson says the movement -- which helps the arms, legs and torso -- is also an instant stress reliever.
"You cannot maintain a clench when your shoulders are pressed down," he says. "Your arms are extended so it's a very freeing [and] open feeling. It makes you breath a little deeper and it gets the blood flowing."
The study finding is music to the ears of 61-year-old ballroom fanatic Bob Silva.
"I don't like to exercise," he says. "I hate it. But if I'm dancing, I don't care how tired I am. When I hear the music and see the women, I can just push myself and it feels wonderful."
After two years of dancing, Silva realized that his hobby was also improving his health. He lost weight that he wasn't able to lose before, and was able to cut his blood pressure medications in half.
One of Silva's younger dance partners, Anne Marie Lund, also found that dancing improved her once-sedentary lifestyle.
"I didn't have any physical endurance," she says. "I could barely make it though one song. And if I couldn't, I'd apologize to my partner and sit down and wait until I could get up again."
Lund says the dance studio has almost become her second home. It's that much fun, she says.
"I can't believe I fell into this just by accident," says Lund. "It's changed my life. That's a big statement. I was heading towards a lot of weight-related health problems, and I've turned that around."
Not everyone who tries ballroom dancing falls in love with it. But those who do find that exercise becomes a form of play. 

 THE BENEFITS OF DANCING

Many people are tired of the same boring workouts they force themselves to do in order to lose weight. Walking on the treadmill, lifting weights, and participating in an aerobics class are just a few of the ways people exercise in order to gain a healthier life. Those who are looking for a more exciting alternative may want to consider dancing since the benefits of dancing can help a person achieve a strong, slender body.

When a person decides to dance on a regular basis, he/she improves strength, increases flexibility, and reduces stress. Dancing helps people lose weight and develop self-confidence. Energetic dancing makes exercisers use muscles they may not have even known existed. It can even help people lower their blood pressure and improve their cholesterol level.

The benefits of dancing also include an improved cardiovascular system.  Dancing prevents and treats osteoporosis, improves balance, and raises endorphin levels. Raised endorphin levels help people who battle depression or those who experience high stress levels.

Dancing helps people stand taller, improving their posture so that they appear to be more slender. Traditional forms of exercise can often make people look bulky. In contrast, if a person studies a form of dance like ballroom, it can help them develop the long, lean look of a dancer. When a person participates in a dance class, he/ she automatically forgets about problems at home or in the workplace. Remembering steps and concentrating on how to perform a specific movement keeps the dancer's mind occupied on what is occurring within the dance studio.

People who take up dancing as a form of exercise often benefit from increased social interaction. Whether a person decides to learn ballroom, ballet, square dancing, or any other kind of dance, it often requires interaction with other dancers. Attending a dance class allows people to meet new people, thereby increasing contact with those who come from different backgrounds. This is one of the benefits of dancing that anyone can enjoy.