The Purpose of a Jazz Square

Hello again! As I prepare to start posting regularly again to the blog, I wanted to share a conversation I had in class yesterday.

A bit of background: I've been teaching this particular class for a little over 4 years now, with some of the same participants but a lot of new ones that just moved in about 6 months ago. The class has about doubled in size just in those last 6 months! And many of the participants, regardless of how long they've been in my class, have not done a lot of dancing before. So when I taught all the newbies how to do a Jazz Square a few months back, it was...let's just say there was a lot of variations going on! (Which really, I love to see.)

But then yesterday, I look out at this group and realize that all of them are doing the Jazz Square perfectly together. While this is never the goal of the class, the dance teacher in me got so excited to see it! And then right after, the Senior Fitness Specialist in me got even more excited.

I paused the music after that song (which I rarely do) and asked them, "do you know the purpose

of a Jazz Square?" And all at once I heard "coordination!" "balance!" "crossing the midline!" and I thought Yes Yes Yes! These students have clearly been paying attention to their bodies and to their fitness instructors.

But then I shared the part that really makes me excited. I said "Those things are all correct answers. But, we're also improving our memory! Because, for a lot of you, even a few months ago you didn't know this step. But now, I call out the name of it and you can do it! Your brain is telling your feet how to move, and the rest of your body is reacting to stay balanced over those feet, and even the two halves of your brain are talking to each other to move your body in this specific pattern. And by learning that new thing, and having your body do that new thing, you are making new connections in your brain which is a really important factor in preventing memory loss as we age."

Then a few songs later when we had to do the same move faster, there was a lot of laughing as people struggled once again with that same step. After that song, I let them know that you don't have to do it right to get the benefits of it--as long as you're trying!

So whether it's a Jazz Square or a Grapevine, a Waltz or a Tango, a line dance or a square dance, just know that any time you teach your body to move in a new way, and learn new patterning, you are strengthening your brain in addition to your body.

(And that is why I do what I do!)