National Dance Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the second to last Saturday in September. This year, it falls on September 19. This holiday, created by Nigel Lythgoe the co-creator and one of the judges on the famous show So You Think You Can Dance is celebrated to encourage citizens to dance as a way to fight obesity and improve people’s mental and physical health.

Dance is a form of expression and art, all about skill and talent. Although it can also be done for expression, dancers can also develop skills and experience benefits by dancing for fun. For some, dancing is a release of freedom, but for others, dancing improperly it can cause brutal injuries, like bone or muscle damage, long term or temporary.

According to Ms. Sheena Beeson, dance teacher at Armijo, dancing is definitely challenging but it is also worth it. It can cause tons of pain, stress, and anxiety, but it can also release it. Practice can prevent some of the potential injuries and make dance more rewarding. Anyone can learn the skill with dedication and determination. Dancing is so popular because as humans we love music and it feels good to move your body to the rhythm.

Where did the art of dance originate?

Dancing has been a part of human culture since the beginning of time and civilization, even before the arrival of written language. Some of the earliest forms of dance, identified to have been practiced in India 9,000 years ago or Egypt 5,300 years ago, were connected to spiritual rituals.

Some different forms of dance that can be practiced on National Dance Day

• •Hip-Hop
• Tap Dance
• Yangko Dance
• Belly Dance
• Kathak
• Gangnam Style
• Break Dance
• Ballet
• Salsa
• Line Dance
• Free-style
• Waltz
• Swing