Why Everyone Should be Dancing at Parties
Hey, you, in the back of the room, staring at your phone. Glancing up occasionally when you hear shouting or laughter. Pretending like you are having fun even though you’re not fooling anyone. The fake smile that has been glued to your face since you realized there were more than 15 people in one room. Declining invitations to let loose and step out of the comfort zone you are so acclimated to. Yeah, you! This is a letter to you, the introverts of the world, and those of you who think dancing at parties is beneath you.
I want to start this off by saying it's okay to say no… but I will do my best to convince you to say yes, at least once in a while.
Dancing at parties, in your kitchen, or with your roommate should not be a scary endeavor. Dancing is a universal expression of movement, choreographed or improvised. A form of expression that is as easy as bouncing your knees and swaying your arms, though its product is more complex. When you tell your body to dance, your Motor Cortex, Somatosensory Cortex, Basal Ganglia, and Cerebellum are all employed to allow movement. Dancing uses complex mental coordination, even though it can be as simple as walking up a staircase. Through the form of dance, you can see improvements in your brain health, neural connections, memory, and mood. Engaging in any type of physical activity immediately increases dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline levels. A plethora of benefits you non-dancers could experience if you let the music move you instead of your brain. Dancing is an emotional expression, an outlet if you will, proven to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Not to say it's a replacement for other forms of therapy, but an addition that simultaneously boots your mood exercises your body and challenges your comfort zone. A dance background is not necessary to feel the effects of its liberation. Dancing lets you connect and interact with others without pressure to continue a dry conversation, use the song lyrics as your scapegoat, and let go of expectations.
I am a dancer, and when I hear music, my immediate reaction is to move, tap my foot, or bob my head. Consequently, I may be biased on this matter; however, dancing creates connections with people through the simplest form of communication, moving. Its beauty is that there is no correct way to move; do the Macarena for all I care. So why don’t you dance? Fear or embarrassment, none of your friends are. If you say, “I don't know how,” please re-read this section.
You may be wondering why I care. Why I want everyone to dance at parties, and why I don’t completely understand what holds people back. The simple answer is I have walked into too many parties where everyone is standing around, and no one is busting it down. Dancing makes the atmosphere feel welcoming and free. I already know I am making friends with the people giving it their 100% when Doja comes on.
Gluing yourself to the pong table to avoid any temptations of dropping it low on the dance floor is out of my control. Think about the immediate release, letting everything go and emptying the stress that is gripped so tightly by your brain for five minutes. Five minutes spent connecting with people and improving your mood while dancing to the California Dreamin’ Remix, how bad could it be? So, for everyone who is still unconvinced, just ask yourself, what's at stake? Why not?
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@mayseerussell