Yes, there are multiple benefits to dance — the physical motor coordination; the brain skills for memory, spatial orientation, pattern recognition, and planning; the sensory processing from the music and touch; as well as social interaction and communication. Complex music (like Mozart, Schubert, and even Yanni) has been shown to lead to a temporary increase in spatial IQ. And while listening to music has some benefit, it’s learning to play music that has the most beneficial impact on brain health. Dancing to music though could easily lead to those same improvements in spatio-temporal processing seen with piano playing. In the same way that a piano keyboard gives a visual linear representation of pitch, the dance steps give a visual pattern and structure to rythym.

We’ll be looking for you on Dancing with the Stars now!
–Caroline