teaching tip - share the benefits of dance, part 2 cognitive benefits

Share the benefits of dancing with your students and their families.
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COGNITIVE BENEFITS
"Dancers learn and express ideas through movement. Some of the benefits of dancing to cognitive development and function include: increased attention, concentration, and motivation; use of perceptual, observation and listening skills; creative-thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills. Dancing nurtures imagination and creativity. It also encourages kinesthetic, spatial, and musical learning. Young people who regularly participate in the arts [dance] during their out-of-school hours are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement than their peers, while older people who regularly dance are 10% less likely to develop dementia." (Andrea Downie, 2015)
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Learn more about the cognitive benefits of dancing in the Healthy Dancer Canada resource, Providing Support to Dancers, by Andrea Downie.