“To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.” – Agnes De Mille

The act of dancing pervades human experience. From remote tribal societies of sub-Saharan Africa and the rainforests of South America to the technologically advanced metropolises across the world, dance is a conduit through which people are transformed, where people “lose themselves,” so to speak, in the rhythm and communal movement.

Who hasn’t said or at least heard the phrases, “Oh, I can’t dance. I have two left feet!” or “I only dance when I’ve had a few drinks?” This self-defeating statement becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. To repeat it is to become more estranged from the powerful movements of dancing. These movements empower, heal, and promote psychological well-being.

I myself was one of those people. Yet I knew that I wanted to dance while sober. After going out with several coworkers to a Latin club one evening, I was intrigued and learned about taking lessons. From there, I intended to suspend my ego and accept the role of student, whereby I would become gradually better with effort, training, and practice. Through learning the movements and practicing, self-consciousness dissipated from my body and confidence swelled in its place.

In addition to its power to transform people and express abstract ideas, dancing is increasingly becoming noticed for its health benefits. Numerous studies have concluded that exercise, such as dancing, not only promotes neurogenesis (the growth of new brain cells), increased flexibility and strength, release of “feel-good” hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, but also reduces stress, depression, and loneliness. Dancing can apparently even prevent the neurodegeneration characteristic of such debilitating diseases as dementia and Parkinson’s.

A 21-year study, led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, sought to investigate the influence of leisure activities on the development or prevention of dementia. Titled “Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly,” the study found dancing to be the only physical activity associated with a lower risk of dementia. In fact, dancing frequently reduced the risk by 76 percent. Another study found significant increases in brain structure crucial for memory consolidation, learning, and navigation in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Researchers discovered this trend after study participants underwent an 18-month dancing intervention.

Dancing also provides some indirect benefits, including a wider social circle as you meet new people, a productive and mindful study break, and even improved posture. In Boston, as well as major cities around the world, one can find a salsa, tango, or bachata club anywhere.

Here at the University of Massachusetts Boston, there are several student organizations that host dancing events and regular classes, including the Sabor Latin Dance Club, the Capoeira club, and the Tango Club, which can all be found on UMBeInvolved.

With the constant distractions inherent in the first world today, I think it’s important and humbling to remember the distilled wisdom of the perspicacious Chinese sage, Confucius:

“Flowing water never stagnates, and the hinges of an active door never rust. This is due to movement. The same principle applies to essence and energy. If the body does not move, essence does not flow. When essence does not flow, energy stagnates.”