A Musical Note To Dance To

People have danced for centuries. Some cultures throughout the ages and up to the current time use dance as a form of story-telling, while in other cultures and eras people dance as a social activity, to show off a family's wealth and status, or to meet new friends or possible suitors for marriage (think of Pride and Prejudice).

Dancing is a good form of physical exercise; and, according to science, dancing releases endorphins which helps in improving memory, attention, and spatial awareness, potentially reducing dementia risk, reducing stress, alleviating anxiety and depression, and boosting self-confidence and mood. In short, dancing can be a good exercise and a way of expressing one's joy.

There are many forms of dancing. Of course, there are many kinds of modern and sensual dancing, which is something I am not at all interested in. Then there are folk dances (such as the Czech polka, the Spanish flamenco, the Irish jig, or the Russian troika), performance dances (such as ballet), and ballroom dances (such as tango, swing, foxtrot, and waltz).

A Russian folk dance

The song we've been listening to in our studio this month is the Second Waltz, written by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) and performed by Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra.