Mary Klootwyk
Members from the SaddleBrooke Squares Dance Club, along with several hundred other dancers, participated in the annual Tucson Square Dance Festival held Jan. 16-18 at the beautiful hall in the Casino Del Sol Resort and Convention Center. The mood of the entire weekend was upbeat and festive, as dancers were led by two well-known national square dance callers, Eric Henerlau from California, and Hunter Keller from Montana. This festival brought people together from all over the United States, creating solidarity and many newfound friends. Dancers were sad to see the festival end, but they made plans to attend the 2027 Tucson Square Dance Festival to connect with new friends and reconnect with old friends.
Research shows that square dancing serves as an excellent form of aerobic exercise and provides cardiovascular conditioning. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute reports that such conditioning lowers a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, decreases blood pressure, and aids in weight management efforts. Because dancing is a weight-bearing activity, bone density can be improved, along with muscle strength and balance. Other physical benefits of dancing include improvement in posture and balance and an increase in stamina and flexibility, which potentially lower a person’s risk of falling!
Square dancing is a great mind-body workout. Research is showing that regular physical activity such as dancing helps keep the body, including the brain, healthy as one ages. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. Dancing requires remembering square dance steps. This, in turn, helps improve memory skills. In square dancing, “allemande left” means to go left. Imagine what happens to a square in square dancing if one person goes to the right when the call is to allemande left! However, experienced dancers have been known to confuse right from left, which generates smiles and laughter in the square.
Psychological benefits of dancing lead to successful aging! Dancing is enjoyable! Dancers find their stress lowered and chronic fatigue reduced, resulting in an increase in their energy level, and their mood improved. Dancing offers opportunities to socialize and meet people. The American Association of Retired Persons suggests, “Dancing can be magical and transforming. It can breathe new life into a tired soul, make a spirit soar,unleash locked-away creativity, trigger fun and long-forgotten memories, and turn sadness into joy, if only during the dance.”
See www.saddlebrookesquares.com for more information on how you can join the world of square dancing!