Weekend's dancing offers health benefits for students

Human experience might better illustrate the potential mental and emotional benefits of dance than years of experimentation by the medical community. \nSenior Stacy England, this year's IU Dance Marathon president, can vouch for that.\nShe said dancing's positive effect on waning energy is apparent from her experience with Dance Marathon.\n"In my experience, dancing helps beat the exhaustion," she said. "When a dancer begins to get really tired, which they will during the marathon, if they run up to the stage and start dancing with the band, it seems to revive their energy level and really lift their spirits."\nSeveral medical studies have sought concrete evidence linking dance to potential physical, mental and psychological health benefits. \nA recent study by the Albert Einstein Center in the Bronx, N.Y., monitored the mental health of 500 Americans age 60 and over who attended dance classes on a regular basis. The study showed that the senior citizens who danced experienced less mental deterioration than those who were inactive or who engaged in physical activity without the social components of dancing. \nVirginia Cesbron, pre-college ballet program and Ballet Department chair, said she has witnessed the effects of regular dancing on developing minds firsthand. She said she's seen similar positive results. \n"The health benefits of dancing are tremendous," she said. "In my experience, I have found dancers to be both physically and mentally stronger. In addition, they are more disciplined, energetic and have better self-esteem as a result of dance training.\nCesbron speaks from the point of view of ballet dancers, but said health benefits apply to other forms of dance as well.\n"Dancers often excel academically, as the concentration and need for memory training strengthens their mental facilities," she said. "They tend to have a more positive outlook concerning their appearance, carriage and ability to move with grace and confidence. They have a highly developed musicality and are expressive and uninhibited." \nA similar study by the Alzheimer's Association pointed out significant inconsistencies in the Einstein Center's research. \nThe Alzheimer's Association's report observed that the people in the Einstein Center study chose to dance of their own accord. Their participation in physical activity of that regularity indicates that they possessed a clearer, more active state of mind than the non-dancing control group, making them initially less likely to show signs of dementia to begin with. \nThe studies draw no definitive conclusions, and neither does the medical community. There is still no concrete medical evidence tying dance to any health benefits, other than the basic aerobic value of physical activity over a sustained period. \nDespite a lack of medical certainty, dance might still have a significant positive impact on health.\nDepartment of Kinesiology associate professor Georgia Frey said it can.\n"I think most agree that dance is beneficial physically and psychologically, but there isn't a lot of research to support this," she said. "The lack of research may stem from the fact that it's difficult to quantify intensity."\n-- Contact staff writer Annie Tasker at atasker@indiana.edu.