Washington Post: Dancing may reduce your dementia risk

 Dancing may reduce your dementia risk by 76 percent - The Washington Post  (gift link)

 

Documentary on the Contra Dance Community

In  The Picayune Sentinel I came across a link to this youtube video of a short documentary about the contra dance community:

 

ISGS Quarterly: Shall We Dance?

Those of you whose hobbies include genealogy as well as dancing, as well as those of you who enjoy doing the Grand March at Oconomowoc Fall Folk Dance Camp, will be interested in the cover story in the Winter 2021 Quarterly Journal of the Illinois State Genealogical Society.

https://ilgensoc.blogspot.com/2021/12/dont-miss-winter-edition-of-isgs.html

"...Shall We Dance?" [is] a deeply researched piece by Laura Marshall Kovarik. Kovarik uses a stunning collection of dance cards saved in a shirt collar box by her Chicago ancestor, to paint a portrait of a workingman’s social life in the late nineteenth century."

Here's the beginning of a paragraph about the Grand March: 

"All of the events began with the Grand March.  This was also called the polonaise.  In an 1852 guide, the Grand March was cited as the way to begin a well-organized dance.  A guest of honor would lead the dance..."

AP story: Dance After Lockdown

 https://news.yahoo.com/months-lockdown-weary-world-ready-113352720.html

 "Even in the depths of the pandemic -- even when the world locked down, leaving billions isolated and desolated -- there were those who danced...."

 

Garrison Kiellor on dancing & parties

http://www.garrisonkeillor.com/wave-your-arms-kick-your-feet-do-the-2020/

"...No doubt about it, dancing is the key to a good time...I’ve seen people polka to “Purple Rain” and look good doing it...."

TIME: Why Dancing Is the Best Thing You Can Do For Your Body

http://time.com/4828793/dancing-dance-aerobic-exercise/

Dance floors tend to be sweaty places for a reason. All of those shimmies and shakes burn energy like you wouldn’t believe—and come with many other surprising health benefits, too. When you cut a rug, you can expend more than 300 calories every half-hour, according to a report from the University of Brighton in the UK. That meets or exceeds the amount of energy you burn during an easy run or swim, the report shows. Even relatively tame forms of dance burn about the same number of calories as...  Read the full story

NYT Article: Dancing May Be Best for the Brain

Roo alerted us to this interesting article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/well/walk-stretch-or-dance-dancing-may-be-best-for-the-brain.html

NPR: Health benefits of synchronized dancing

http://www.npr.org/2016/05/03/476559518/the-health-benefits-of-dancing-go-beyond-exercise-and-stress-reducer

"New social science research shows that dancing in synchrony with others increases people's threshold for dealing with pain."

NPR: Chinese regulation of "square" dancing

Heard this story on NPR this evening:
http://www.npr.org/2015/03/27/395817212/in-regulating-outdoor-dancing-china-tells-seniors-how-to-bust-a-move


Here's another related link
: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/24/395105501/china-is-going-to-regulate-outdoor-square-dancing

Chicago Tribune Article: Benefits of Social Dancing

Social dancing can be a lift and a turnaround - chicagotribune.com
 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-he-swing-dancer-20140427,0,2731692.story

Chicago Winter Dance: Pritzker Pavilion, February weekends

Chicago Winter Dance: Dancing

February 5 - 27: Saturdays & Sundays
Session I: Lessons 1 - 2 pm; Open dancing 2 - 3:30 pm
Session II: Lessons 5 - 6 pm; Open dancing 6 - 7:30 pm

Location: Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion 201 E. Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60602

Admission: FREE

NPR: Dancing All the Dances as Long as I Can by R. Fulghum

Heard this on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday this morning, in their "This I Believe" segment, and thought folks might appreciate it:

Dancing All the Dances as Long as I Can, by Robert Fulghum