Say it with steps: Learn to dance when you stay home during lockdown
Dance is a good fitness routine, it’s fun to do in ones, twos or groups, it can be done in a confined space, and it can lift your mood — so it’s the perfect skill to hone in lockdown.
You can dance in ones, twos or groups, in a confined space, and it will lift your mood — all of which make it the perfect skill to hone in lockdown.
“A 30-minute dance session can be as good as 30 minutes of jogging. It is a complete body workout, keeps you flexible and agile, and depending on the dance form, it can also work your core,” says Delhi-based fitness trainer Sumaya Dalmia. Here’s a look at the benefits offered by different easy-to-learn styles.
Turn up the heat: There is no dance quite as sexy as the salsa. For a couple quibbling over who should clean the bathroom, and where the last of the bread went, it’s also a great way to restore peace and sanity to the proceedings. An added benefit: no one’s watching, so you don’t have to worry if you each have two left feet.
“Goofing off between chores with this kind of dance form will crack you up a bit, so it’s a good bonding experience,” says Daniella Gomes, a salsa teacher from Mumbai.
Don’t let complicated dance terminology like crossbody lead and basic forward intimidate you. Start with the basic steps. “Salsa requires you to pay attention and have that mind-body connection, so it’s actually almost meditative once you get into the rhythm,” Gomes says.
Dedicate 45 minutes a day and it’ll stay fun without become a chore, she adds.
Say it with movement: Contemporary dance can be cathartic because there are no rules, just movement, and so it helps you express your emotions. “This form of dance allows you to be raw, express what you feel,” says choreographer and zumba instructor Kunal Jessani. This kind of movement can also help strengthen your core. Start with some contemporary basics, like the foot flex and point, passé, rond-de-jambe (round of the leg) and chaînés (turns).
To get the freestyle going, Jessani recommends you pick a lively colour like red. “Now just think of what red denotes to you. It can be love, danger, anger, anything,” he says.
Allow your body to move according to the feelings you’re now thinking of.
This is a fun exercise to do with two or more people — whoever’s in the house — because “everyone has a different interpretation of the same colour and a different movement for that interpretation, which can be beautiful to see,” Jessani says.
Bounce yourself into a good mood: Hip hop is a good way to raise your sluggish energy levels. “Give it an hour every alternate day, and make it an hour when you think of anything but the problems,” says dancer Virag Ashok Dubal.
To get started, pay attention to how your body moves to a beat naturally. “In hip hop, everyone puts their stamp on each style, so when you’re learning the steps, it’s important to add your own tweaks,” Dubal says. “Make it slightly different every time you do it. Let it reflect your quirks.”
Twist for yourself: Belly dancing can give you a lot of confidence and lift your mood, says dancer and choreographer Kanchi Shah. Physically, it works your core, arms, back and hips.
Begin by practising chest isolations and a chest shimmy. Be experimental, Shah suggests, and dance to various kinds of music. “Both men and women can belly dance,” says Shah. “I’ve has seen a fair number of men master the skill and have fun doing it.”
