Sneha Kadam, whose motto is ‘anybody can dance’, explains why dance has a major role to play in life, as she says it did for her.
Sneha Kadam, whose motto is ‘anybody can dance’, explains why dance has a major role to play in life, as she says it did for her.
Having been working in the medical industry for the last 13 years, specifically in the cardiac segment, I have seen people develop lifestyle disorders and diseases like diabetes and blood pressure, ultimately leading to heart problems. And there’s even evidence now to suggest that the main reason for heart related problems is stress.
So I have often asked myself: ‘Why is everyone around us so stressed? Why are people not able to strike a work life and personal life balance?’
And I’ve often realised that the main reason for this is we take things too seriously.
Yes; on the outset that might seem a simplistic reason, but lack of humour is a very serious problem, if you get the pun.
Pulled apart by a variety of cares, we have lost our playfulness; our sense of abandon and lightness.
Now the question is, if it is lost, how do we rediscover it? I’ll say there are various means, but the one I’d dearly like to propose is dancing.
Dancing, as I see it, is merely a form of movement to which there is no right or wrong. If right now, I ask you to do just one single move while you read this, would you not have a smile even at the thought of it?
Admit it; you just did! That is the power of dancing.
Dancing keeps you light. It makes your thinking easy, which makes you an easy-going person. And the more easy-going you are, the better is your way of handling a given situation.
Dancing helps you stay positive and vibrant. Think of it as a pill that we all have but never use. If only we take this pill five minutes a day every day, your visits to the doctor will greatly reduce.
And here are the top benefits of dancing in a corporate setup, as I see it:
Happy Employees
A company’s success depends on the morale of its employees. Productivity in an organisation and retention of these employees increase when employees are happy. There are a lot of things a company does to promote happiness, but if the basic nature of an employee is to be happy then half the battle is won.
Smart Workers
Dancing makes you smart. Dancing involves several functions of the brain at once, while the brain is getting a serious workout. This helps in quick decision making. If we introduce dance at school levels, imagine the impact it will have on the lives and the upbringing of the students and their approach towards life!
Team Building and Responsibility
Dancing when done along with a partner instils a sense of responsibility. It tells the dancer to connect and smile at their partner, to build a connection, and this attitude helps team building in an office setup.
For example, in ballroom dancing, the partner has to trust the other person that they will step back with their left leg so you can proceed forward with your right and vice-versa. A basic step like this is an example of trusting partnership, a fundamental element for team building.
Healthy Employees
Over the years, companies have directly or indirectly paid the price for their employees’ health. Dance is a low-risk and enjoyable form of activity that an employee can take up to keep themselves healthy.
It is a form of cardio workout which works very well on the body and hence programs like zumba and Bollywood workouts are picking up so much popularity. Employees who are aware of and respond to their body’s health are better equipped physically and mentally, to perform.
It is a form of cardio workout which works very well on the body and hence programs like zumba and Bollywood workouts are picking up so much popularity. Employees who are aware of and respond to their body’s health are better equipped physically and mentally, to perform.
Confidence Building
Being a certified Bombay Jam instructor for the past five years, I have taught this program to thousands of students in the USA and India in person. This is nothing but a Bollywood dance workout program delivered as an hour-long class with nonstop dancing.
I have had students come to the class and say that they cannot dance, but by the fifth or the sixth session they are dancing in the front row! What changed in them is their confidence in themselves. They do not care anymore if they are better than others; the basis of their dance is simply to have fun.
I’ve even seen their personal life improving drastically. I had a student who came to my class as a way to overcome her sadness after a divorce. Very quickly, with every class she became happier and healthier, and regained her confidence. She was more confident in her own skin and body, and today she is happy and back on track with a new life and a child.
Another student who had been struggling to conceive found great results after she commenced dancing.
The benefits of dancing are endless and I could keep going on. But for now, I ask you to put on your favourite dance number and groove for five minutes. No need for rhyme or rhythm; just let yourself loose, or team up with a colleague, partner or friend. Just groove for five to ten minutes every day and see the difference. It’s the best prescription there is for your mental and physical health.
