Dancing Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Brain – Here’s Why
“Dance is one of the most whole-brain activities humans do,” says Dave Rabin, MD, PhD, board-certified neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and author. And it starts the moment you arrive at the studio, according to Wilfred G. van Gorp, PhD, ABPP, board-certified neuropsychologist and director of the Cognitive Assessment Group: “Walking into a dance class…is the start of a full neurological event.” A flurry of activity occurs: the hippocampus starts mapping the room, dopamine is released as you anticipate the start of class, and mirror neurons fire as you watch people stretch, creating a sense of social connectedness2. Dr. Rabin adds that your amygdala also activates, evaluating the room for safety and asking, “Do I know these people? Am I safe being seen?”
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