Dancing, for most people around the world, is a form of expression that allows them to discover their inner selves and be creative. Various Indian dance forms are also great for shedding weight and staying fit. But while most women naturally embrace dancing, Indian men still remain diffident, guided mainly by tradition patriarchy.
Here’s what men need to know about dancing (and what they've been missing out on).
"It's Too Girly!"
It’s Not
"Men shy away from dancing because they think it’s a ‘girly’ thing,” says John Anthony, director of Latino Rhythms Dance Academy and organiser for IIDC (India International Dance Congress). “They don’t understand that women want to be spun around the floor and end up in a man’s arms! Dance forms like salsa teach discipline and manners, which any woman prefers to sleazy touching.”
"I Have Four Left Feet"
You Don't Have To Be Good
A Men’s Health find says research suggests that just participating in cultural happenings like dancing can reduce levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and boost social capital. The Daily Mail has posted a study published in the journal Music and Medicine. It quotes Australian academics who said participants dancing the tango, “showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia.”
"The Gym’s a Better Workout"
Dancing Builds Abs
Ever looked down at your bloating tummy in dismay? Google b-boing dancers abs. Then, turn up the music: Dancers have ripped bodies for a reason: there is a lot of core strength involved to hold positions and move quickly or perform stunts. “Dance workouts may seem awkward, but they improve flexibility, build ripped, not bulky muscle and even do away with chicken legs,” says Delhi Salsa Club’s founder Sameer Sachdeva who specialises in salsa and zumba, and has been dancing for over 10 years. everydayhealth.com also shows research from The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition that finds weekly dance programmes improve physical performance and energy levels.
"It's Only For Hrithik Roshan or Shah Rukh Khan"
It'll Help You Become A Star!
"Dancers are taught to stand taller by lifting their heads high, sucking their stomachs in and tucking in their butt," says Sachdeva. It's not just the right walking posture, you'll stand out in a sea of slouchers. Once you're over your initial awkward phase, dancing helps you connect more with your body. "Dancing on stage also lends something we call stage presence or the ability to capture an audience," says Sachdeva.
"I Don’t Have Time"
Now You’ll Remember To Make Time
According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, posted in everydayhealth.com, dancing as an aerobic exercise reverses volume loss in the hippocampus (that controls memory), as you age, which in turn minimises chances of impaired memory. And dementia.
Want to break into dancing? Try these moves given by Men’s Health! or watch this.