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Paulinian Dance Troupe hosts webinar on dance, health, and career
By Krizha Maigne Eleazar | November 27, 2021
The St. Paul University Manila community, together with participants from other universities, gathered as the Paulinian Dance Troupe conducted a webinar titled “Step into the World of Dance 2021: Career and Health” on November 20, 2021, via Zoom.
To formally commence the program, Prof. Elmgay Valeriano, Head of the Student Welfare Office, shared her passion for dancing and expressed how it benefits our general well-being. “I would like to end with a quote from Amelia Rose, “In a society that worships love, freedom, and beauty, dance is sacred. It is a prayer for the future, a remembrance of the past, and a joyful exclamation of thanks for the present,” she said.
The discussion of the webinar was divided into three parts, which tackled the benefits of dancing from career to health among the students and adults.
Benefits of Dancing on Physical Health
Dr. Maria Adela Generosa Cordero, University Physician and Head of Health Services, was the first speaker of the webinar. Dr. Cordero began her talk with the physical benefits of dancing, especially in a time when Covid-19 has made a dramatic impact on our well-being. People try to cope by trying different innovative activities.
“The virtual avenue opened a lot of destressing activities, such as arts, exercise, and a lot more. Tiktok, for example, has been very popular and it is intended to be an outlet for self-expression and inspiration,” she said.
A study titled “The Effectiveness of Dance Intervention on Physical Health Outcome Compared to Other Forms of Physical Activity,” revealed that structured dance of any genre is equally and occasionally more effective than other types of structured exercise for improving a range of outcome health measures.
Dancing improves muscle tone and strength, as well as posture, flexibility, and coordination. It also helps boost the immune system and burn unwanted calories. Finally, dancing also serves as a stress reliever, as the popular saying goes, “Dance away our stress!”
“Dancing promotes an experience known as “flow.” This is almost like a meditative state that brings dancers into a deep focus, where they are attentive solely to the movements, music, and rhythms instead of thinking about unrelated worries and stresses,” Dr. Cordero added.
Groove for Social and Mental Health
The second speaker, Mr. Ajocrivipor P. Agojo, a registered guidance counselor at St. Paul University Manila, talked about how dancing can improve mental health and social skills.
He stated that dancing is not just a physical activity. It also has an impact on one’s social and mental health. It improves our social skills by enhancing communication skills, finding our comfort zone, and being open to others.
“If you are an individual who is not comfortable working with others, sa dancing hindi pwedeng lagi ka lang nag-iisa (In dancing, you cannot always be alone). You need to learn from other people. You will also share your talent and skills with other members of the group,” he said.
Dancing is also a mental exercise. Several studies show that areas of the brain that control memory and skills, such as planning and organizing, improve with exercises like dance. It requires one to focus on both the constant changing of movement and recalling moves and patterns.
Mr. Agojo also discussed how dancing could help with emotional expression and build trust. He ended his discussion with a quote, “Never make fun of someone’s passion because that’s the thing that saves them from the world.”
Career in Dance
Lastly, the third speaker, Mr. Conrado Contreras, Jr., current head teacher of the MAPEH Department of Lakandula High School DepEd Manila, started his discussion by sharing his exercise video. He shared some of his experiences as a dancer as he discussed the different dance careers that one may pursue.
“Dancing is not just a hobby; it is a profession,” he said.
Careers in dance span a range of professions, including being an educator, performer, choreographer, dance therapist, historian, critic, writer, costume designer, production designer, or technician.
Is a Dance Career Worth It?
The truth is that for many dancers, their love for dancing and passion for the art overrides all of the drawbacks. Even though things can be outrageously challenging, competitive and painful, both physically and emotionally, dance is worth it.
“Dito, ang puhunan niyo ay lakas (Here in dance, strength is your primary capital). It is really your energy kaya (so) you need to take care of yourself,” he added.
At the end of his discussion, he encouraged the participants to keep on dancing because there are careers that can help them financially. After all the discussion, a short open forum and awarding of certificates to the three resource speakers were conducted, led by the moderator of the Paulinian Dance Troupe, Mr. Melvin Macuha.
To end the program, Ms. Analou Santos, President of the Paulinian Dance Troupe, emphasized the importance of dancing as part of our wellbeing and its accompanying prospects.
“There are a lot of opportunities in the world of dancing. You just really need to be equipped with enough knowledge and learnings. In connection with that, if you’re engaged and enthusiastic in what you do, you’ll surely make more progress in your career,” she said.
