The math in dance

The past 20 or so years have seen a major technology boom, nothing short of a revolution. Just in the past 5 years, we’ve seen youtube, facebook, twitter… iphone, tablets, e-readers… ipods.. The snail mail is a thing of the past. The kids these days cannot imagine a life without internet, cellphone. 

With the technology getting smarter and smarter, there is a lot of talk in the science world whether this so called 'smart' technology is actually making us dumber. No need to remember phone numbers, calculate tips, memorize calendar appointments, etc. So much buzz about physical health... but what about mental health and brain activity!
The truth is - this parasytic reliance on technology is crippling us day after day. Not just us, our friends, siblings, spouses, kids – the youth around us. If we don’t take a steps to reverse this now, it will be too late and before we know it we will have robots rule us just like in the movie - Matrix.. Okay, okay it may not be that bad. I tend to be over-dramatic. 

I know we all hear this all the time... But, what are we doing about it?

Whenever possible, I spare no chance to stress the importance of math in our daily lives. Math triggers the process of thinking, applying logic and solving problems. Doing simple math problems, as simple as solving sudoku, every day can trigger a larger benefit for our overall brain activity helping our memory and sharpening those neuron connections. This past week, I saw a similar benefit in another activity.

At my last dance class this Sunday, I realized that my Kathak dance teacher was kicking it up a notch (..ummm.. several notches) by adding more complicated steps to our routine. There is a science in every dance form, especially classical dances. The basic Kathak footwork of 'Ta, thei, thei, Tat' can be combined in various permutations and combinations to make extremely intricate, yet elegant, dance moves. The act of remembering these combinations forces us to 'think', create logical connections... thereby improving mental agility and strength. Over time, we find it easier to adapt and learn the complicated moves since our brain has been trained and prepared to kick it up several notches!

Scientists once believed that mental ability was fixed after childhood. But over the last few decades, neuroscientists have discovered that adults' brains are constantly changing - growing new neurons and connections - in a process known as neuroplasticity. The more we train our brain, the better it is for our brain health. The older we get, the slower this process becomes. It is even more crucial to 'exercise' your brain as you get older. Learning dance is one of the ways. No wonder all dance instructors have such sharp memory!