Summer term has started and it’s been wonderful to see our students already working hard learning new choreography for the West Wimbledon Dance Academy Christmas Show (more of that in another blog another time!) and other mini-shows before then.
There will be sunny days (we hope) for school trips, outings, fairs and other fun events in Wimbledon and beyond, but for some there will be exams too. Personally at the start of a summer term in my early teens I used to dread the thought of academic exams! But I learnt how ballet could help me to cope, relax and even enjoy them.
One of the great things about dance is it’s a unique brain booster. Unlike repetitive exercises, ballet requires quick, complex mental decisions – synchronizing rhythm, spatial awareness and memory of steps. You can literally dance your way to a nimble brain.
I don’t (and can’t!) pretend to be a genius, but it was no surprise to me to be told that researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA confirmed that dance can markedly improve brain health.
But dance doesn’t just improve brain power. It also helps us to relax, breathe and look after our overall wellbeing, so it gives students a break from exams and other academic pressure.
I wish all of our West Wimbledon Dance Academy students who are doing exams this summer the best of luck. I am sure they will all do super well!