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Participate yes, but make it magical.
Shouldn’t most of what we involve ourselves in life have magic? We think so.
Exercise on a regular basis? Sure we do, but even if you are a female athlete and are used to working out, is the operative word in that description work? Or is it fun?
Or can it become magical?
It can be if you decide to exercise with ballroom dancing. Why magical?
Films told at least three times from the perspective of three different countries speak to why the world of ballroom dance can almost be spiritual and magical.
JAPAN
Shall We Dance? is a 1996 Japanese film. Its title refers to the song, “Shall We Dance?” which comes from Rodgers and Hammerstein‘s The King and I. It was directed by Masayuki Suo.
The film begins with a close-up of the inscription above the stage in the ballroom of the Blackpool Tower: “Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear”, from the poem Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare. As the camera pans around the ballroom giving a view of the dancers, a voice-over explains that in Japan, ballroom dancing is treated with suspicion.
Shohei Sugiyama (K?ji Yakusho) is a successful salaryman, with a house in the suburbs, a devoted wife, Masako (Hideko Hara), and a teenage daughter, Chikage (Ayano Nakamura). He works as an accountant for a firm in Tokyo.
Despite these external signs of success, however, Sugiyama begins to feel as if his life has lost direction and meaning and falls into depression.
One night, while coming home on the Tokyo Subway, he spots a beautiful woman with a melancholy expression looking out from a window in a dance studio.
He eventually decides to go in and the magic begins.
AMERICA
Shall We Dance? is a 2004 American film that is a remake of the award-winning 1996 Japanese film of the same name. The film made its US premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
John Clark (Richard Gere) is a lawyer with a charming wife, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), and a loving family, who nevertheless feels that something is missing as he makes his way every day through the city.
Each evening on his commute home through Chicago, John sees a beautiful woman staring with a lost expression through the window of a dance studio. Haunted by her gaze, John impulsively jumps off the train one night, and signs up for ballroom dancing lessons, hoping to meet her.
Soon the magic begins.
AUSTRALIA
Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann.
Strictly Ballroom is based on a critically acclaimed stage play originally set up in 1984 by Luhrmann and fellow students while he was studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney.
An expanded version of the play became a success at the Czechoslovakian Youth Drama Festival in Bratislava in 1986, and in 1988 it made successful season at Sydney’s Wharf Theatre.
Now for the story.
A top ballroom dancer pairs with a plain, left-footed local girl when his maverick style earns him the disdain of his more conventionally-minded colleagues. Together, the team gives it their all and makes dreams of the National Championship title come true.
Well female athletes, are you convinced yet? Three countries have made major films on the subject.
Now a guest writer will speak on the subject.
Please enjoy with an eye to magic.
Benefits of Ballroom Dancing
Not only are the steps in pleasing to the eyes, but the dance also has lots of benefits for your body. Like exercise, one of the main benefits of ballroom dancing is shedding those extra pounds. How would you like to have those well-toned bodies of women dancing the tango or rumba?
If you have started ballroom dancing while you were young, it can help a lot in correcting and developing a good posture, as this is one important aspect of this dance that you should master, although it is not too late to get proper posture as an adult. Aside from this, here are other benefits of ballroom dancing that have been identified.
Weight loss
If you are looking for a fantastic way to shed those extra pounds, ballroom dancing could be your option. Ballroom dancing is a good way to burn calories and it can burn up to 265 calories in an hour and can burn as much calories as other forms of exercise. What is good about dancing as a form of exercise is that, you will never feel the hard work because you love the activity and it is fun.
Healthy body
Aside from maintaining a healthy weight, other benefits of ballroom dancing is that, it improves blood circulation as well as helps maintain a healthy heart. It also helps you get good balance, strength, flexibility, and of course get rid of those joint pains you get from sitting all day watching TV.
Stress reliever
Indeed, ballroom dances are fun ways to relieve stress from everyday life. It is also a good way to relax, have fun and be happy. Having a great music and gliding smoothly to the dance floor with your partner is indeed a good way to get rid of life’s many troubles and worries.
Self-confidence
Maintaining a good posture and appeal to the audience while dancing is also a good way to boost your self-confidence. Learning how to present the art of dancing to an audience is indeed a confidence-booster and the more you are into it, the more you would likely apply this confidence in other aspects of your life.
Good posture
Practicing good posture is a requirement in ballroom dancing, and it is indeed one of the great benefits of ballroom dancing even if you are still starting with the lessons.
Well-toned and graceful body
The longer you practice the dance steps and movements, the more you will get a well-toned body as well as well-toned legs. You will also learn to move with grace even if you are not in the dance floor.
Productive free time
Ballroom dancing is also a productive and healthy way to spend your free time. If you have weekends off, you can go to dance classes instead of being stuck on the couch and on the TV. Who knows you might discover that dancing is one of your passions.
Fun and happiness
Dancing is also one way to be happy. With all the great music and lively and graceful movements, it is indeed very helpful in maintaining a good emotional and mental health.
Socialization
Ballroom dancing is done in pairs and it allows you to meet a lot of people who are also interested in dancing, thus it can also help you socialize and widen your circle of friends.
With these benefits of ballroom dancing, you surely would love to be a part of happy dance classes learning different ballroom dances. So go now and start learning!
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About the author:
Carolyn Anderson loves life and she likes to share great ways to have a good and happy life. If you like ballroom dancing and wants to dance like a pro, she recommends this ballroom dancing video tutorials, check out ballroom dancing like a pro. Also check out Easy Web Video, if you are interested on making dance videos to post to the internet.
FEATURE PHOTO FOUND AT quizsocial.com
Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, fciwomenswrestling2.com, FCI Elite Competitor, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Ballroom-Dancing&id=2673920
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carolyn_Anderson/338254
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shall-we-dance-2004
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shall-we-dance-1997
