Dance - health benefits

• Ballet – this dance style focuses on strength, technique and flexibility.
• Ballroom dancing – this involves a number of partner-dancing styles such as the waltz, swing, foxtrot, rumba and tango.
• Belly dancing – originating in the Middle East.
• Hip-hop – this urban dance style can involve breaking, popping, locking and freestyling.
• Jazz – a high-energy dance style involving kicks, leaps and turns to the beat of the music.
• Pole dancing – It involves sensual dancing with a vertical pole, and requires muscle endurance, coordination, and upper- and lower-body strength.
• Salsa – involving a mixture of Caribbean, Latin American and African influences, salsa is usually a partner dance and emphasises rhythms and sensuality.
• Square-dancing – a type of folk dancing where four couples dance in a square pattern, moving around each other and changing partners.
• Tap dancing – focuses on timing and beats.

When choosing a dance style, ask yourself questions such as:

• Do I want to dance to improve my fitness?
• Am I trying to improve my flexibility and coordination?
• Do I prefer fast dancing or slow dancing?
• Do I want to dance with a partner, or on my own?
• Do I want to join a group, or have private lessons?
• Will I enjoy competitions, or do I want to dance just for fun?