Dancing and the Brain

Researchers are finding unexpected health benefits to dancing

Image courtesy of the Louvre Museum, Paris.

Neither the hot Greek night nor the clutter of dish-strewn tables could keep my cousins from dancing. The minute the traditional music blared out, in silent agreement, they popped up from their wooden chairs.

With arms draped over shoulders, their intricate steps mirrored each other better than those of a Broadway chorus line. I had seen these steps growing up in Ohio and knew a few myself. Learning them required concentration and careful attention at first, but, with practice, the movements rolled out automatically. That evening in the home village, black-haired Ourania leaned over to whisper, “Christos was a wonderful dancer.” Christos, our great-grandfather, had lived to age ninety-seven. Maybe his artistry as a dancer contributed to his longevity. Maybe the lastingly sharp mind of his son, my grandfather, also owed a debt to fancy footwork. A look into dancing and the brain uncovers surprising answers to these musings.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

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