Another Take on the Many Benefits of Ballroom Dancing

Diana Wille

We have written before about the benefits of ballroom dancing, but I recently read an article about Huntsville Ballroom in Alabama, which had a little different take on how dancing can benefit us as we reconnect after this past year’s isolation.

Like the SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club (SBDC), Huntsville Ballroom was shut down for some time during the pandemic. Victoria, the Huntsville Ballroom owner, says once things started to open up, students were very happy to be back. “Our brains are wired to be around people and to physically touch,” Victoria said. “Our dancers had forgotten a few things, but once they returned those things came back to them, just like riding a bike. So why not come and be social while burning calories?” You might think you have no rhythm or have two left feet. “Well, toss those excuses out the door,” says Victoria. “Walking is rhythmic. So, you’re already dancing when you walk in the door. Walking has taught us two or three dances, so I just tell people how that works. It’s a lot easier than people think.”

Ballroom dancing has many benefits, from heightened self-esteem to mental sharpness and even body toning.

Dancing goes beyond the physical state, Victoria says. “People are just all around happier. Happy that they were able to learn something new and accomplish it. And once you’ve gained that confidence, there’s no stopping. You see their self-esteem sky rocket and they genuinely love dancing.”

So, let’s start dancing! You’ve made it this far, so that means you might want to know what the SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club has to offer. Here’s a brief summary:

Open Dance—free dancing open to all residents in SaddleBrooke

Wednesdays 4 to 5:30 p.m. Vermillion Room, SaddleBrooke One

Sundays 3 to 5 p.m. MountainView Ballroom, SaddleBrooke TWO

Dance Lessons—first lesson free, then join the club

Mondays 6 to 8 p.m. Mariposa Room, DesertView, SaddleBrooke TWO (for July, Barb and Tom Marshall will be teaching Samba)

Thursdays 6 to 8 p.m. Mariposa Room, DesertView, SaddleBrooke TWO (for July, Dottie and Harry Adams will be teaching Country Partners Hauser Waltz)

Dance Lesson Practice

Wednesdays 10 a.m. to noon Vermillion Room, SaddleBrooke One

Review of Monday and Thursday dance lessons

First Thursday Dances

On the first Thursday of each month, SBDC hosts a Dine and Dance night. The SaddleBrooke One Vistas dining room staff works with us to provide dinners ordered from the menu, and SBDC’s DJs provide wonderful dance music. What positive, happy nights we have! (Reservations are suggested.)

How do you get information about these events?

As a member, you would be on the email list that keeps you updated as to where and when events will occur. So do yourself and our members a favor by joining SBDC. Go to our website, www.sbballroomdance.com, for documents to join and a calendar to see what events are available. We look forward to meeting you in the SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club, where the learning continues and the fun never ends.