Dance Your Worries Away

Life seems more stressful now than it did years ago. Everywhere we turn, there are problems, divisiveness and different issues competing for our attention. What can we do to handle the demands of a difficult world? Well, there are many types of exercise you can do in Oakmont to relieve stress, but the one that is the most fun is dancing.

Ballroom Dancing in Oakmont

Among our huge number of clubs and classes in Oakmont, there are several that involve dancing, but only Ballroom, Swing, Latin and Square dancing are partner dancing. Terry Whitten’s Ballroom, Swing and Latin dance classes take place on Wednesdays at the Lower West Rec at 4 pm and you don’t even have to come with a partner. Most people get to dance with many partners during the lessons. Terry teaches beginning level Foxtrot, Waltz, Jitterbug Swing, Rhumba, Nightclub Two Step, Cha Cha, Country Waltz, Country Two Step, Tango, etc.

The Fun and Benefits of Ballroom Dancing

I know that many of you never learned to dance partner dances in your youth, but you are missing out on something that can transform your life and make you feel years younger and best of all, allow you to have fun and laughter, the kind of fun you had as a teenager. Also, a number of research studies have shown that partner dancing may slow down cognitive decline as we age as well as improve balance.

Those of us who have been taking part in the ballroom classes for a long time make it a priority to continue to come because we get good at it, we become like a family, and we enjoy it immensely. It feels good to waltz around like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as one onlooker said to a couple of us. When you dance, you forget everything else and you live in the moment, just enjoying the movement and the music, I know that some of you do dance what I call freestyle dancing, where you are not touching anyone. That is nice, but not the same as partner dancing, where the two of you are a unit. So, in conclusion, why not give it a try? Add a spring to your step. Life is more fun while dancing.

How to Get Started

For more information, watch for announcements in the Oakmont News under the heading of Let’s Dance – Together! or contact Terry at twhitten@pacbell.net.