Fourth-graders at Willow Road School have been receiving professional instruction in ballroom dancing over the past two months, and the students had a chance to show off their newfound skills with a special performance for family members and other invited guests in the school gymnasium.
During the performance, the students demonstrated the fox trot, waltz, tango, samba and rumba, each of which was taught by nonprofit dance organization CoDanceCo. To cap the event, the students asked audience members to join them on the dance floor for a fun-filled finale.
While the activity may have seemed on the surface like lighthearted fun, the dance lessons actually helped the students build strength in their legs while improving flexibility. Ballroom dancing is also known to improve cardiovascular health, as well as intellectual and mental abilities. The constant activity of learning new dance steps is proven to sharpen the mind, especially in young students who are still developing. The students were also given a bit of a geography lesson, as the dances they learned came from various parts of the world.
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