Fox-trotting and Fitness: How Dance Helps Your Health

Men perspire and women glow, or so the saying goes. On a recent Wednesday night in the cafeteria of , both men and women twinkled.

That is, they learned the twinkle step as part of the Foxtrot.

Twenty-four students are taking part in the winter session of "Intro to Social Ballroom Dance with Jim Watts," an adult class offered by the . 

As it turns out, programs like Zumba (a blend of Latin dancing and aerobics) don't have the monopoly on . The Department of Recreation and Parks offered 18 dance classes that began in the third week of January, with styles ranging from belly dancing to swing.

Jim Watts and Lucy Moran teach four ballroom classes in the winter session: one for couples, and three beginner classes where no partner is required. Watts and Moran have been teaching together for 15 years, and each has danced for much longer.

Watts alone has more than four decades of teaching experience, but he learned to dance in the ninth grade. That year, he attended a school-sponsored dance, confident that he could watch his friends and pick up the steps. 

Telling the story, Watts laughs. "And I got out there and I flubbed the dance," he says.

That was his motivation.

"I vowed I would never put myself in that position again, and I learned to dance. ... From that point on, I never embarrassed myself again."

Far from simply learning to dance, Watts became one of the leading dancers in the area and competed for years. Moran praises his technical ability, knowledge, and his appreciation for the beauty and character of dance.

"Jim crosses every line on style," Moran says.

Watts studied at Chevy Chase Ballroom and Feather and Three studio in Arlington, and has learned from Joyce Brampton, Peter Eggleton, Geoffrey Fells, and Rebecca Francoeur. 

One of his turning points came in 1984, when he first saw an International Style ballroom dance at a competition in Montgomery County (different from the American Style and other dance styles he'd been doing). Watts decided to learn and immersed himself in study, often practicing for hours after work.

He's now retired and teaches at several locations in the area with Moran.

Watts and Moran met at a swing dance in Baltimore in 1993. "[Swing dancing] was, to me, real dancing, where I saw creativity," she explains. She was impressed by the technique and art he brought to the dance floor. 

Watts challenged Moran's concept of ballroom dancing. Shortly after that meeting, with Watts' encouragement, she began dancing at the Atlantic Ballroom in Baltimore.

Many students enroll because they want to learn to dance for a special occasion, such as a wedding. Ohers might approach the class as a 'night out,' an opportunity to learn a new skill with their partner, or a way to lose weight.

The benefits of ballroom dancing are diverse.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that dancing was associated with a lower risk of dementia. The long term benefits of social dancing in seniors also includes improved balance and gait.

A 2009 study suggested that dancing improves the symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease. Those with mild to moderate Parkinson's who participated in 20 hours of instruction over 13 weeks had improved balance, motor control, and locomotion.

Ballroom dancing also has emotional and mental benefits. 

In addition to the social interaction, dancing builds confidence. Focusing on the steps engages the mind and forces the dancer to pay attention. One dancer 'leads' while the other 'follows,' which means that dancing requires partnership and communication.

Watts and Moran return to that point throughout the class as they break down the twinkle step into manageable pieces. 

It's a graceful movement that looks like a cross-step and allows the dancers to shift positions between 'closed' (where the partners face each other) and 'promenade' (where the lead's right side and follow's left side are in close contact). 

To twinkle or not to twinkle requires a decision that must be communicated between partners.

"It's never an 'I' thing and it's never a 'you' thing," Moran tells the class.

Watts finishes the thought: "It's 'we.' "

Certain styles of dance such as Latin and swing may lend themselves to more cardio-intensive workouts, but don't assume the legs are doing all of the work. 

Dancers must also maintain good posture, which engages muscles throughout the body. This is important for both the lead dancer, who needs to communicate the next step, and the following dancer, who detects the lead's intention by cues such as pressure on the hand. 

This relationship takes practice. 

When students try the twinkle step together for the first time, there is some confusion. As the music stops they are laughing, but also applauding each other's effort. By the end of the class, the addition of the twinkle goes much more smoothly.

And there is no shortage of smiles.

That's the other draw of ballroom dancing; it's fun, and that's what exercise should be.