To say it outright, Gustavus has a great Theatre/Dance department. The professors are incredible and there are courses for every skill level. While a lot of incredible dancers come to Gustavus because of the great department, that doesn’t mean you should be too intimidated to join in on the fun. Taking modern dance has been one of the most fun classes I’ve taken at Gustavus, and here are ten reasons you should join, too.
1. You will make really great friends. Your class will bond through the laughter, the fun, and the crazy steps that you’re all struggling to master.
2. Dancing helps work out nearly every part of your body! And being a little more active is never a bad thing.
3. You will improve your coordination and flexibility.
4. It’s a great stress reliever from more traditional academic classes. Taking dance allows you to breathe and forget about your problems for a while.
5. Modern dance has roots in ballet, but it’s not as intimidating for those who have never danced before. Modern really allows you to explore movements within your body.
6. Studies have shown that dancing makes you smarter. Look it up if you don’t believe me!
7. Dancing will help you be more confident. Learning to perform in front of others will help you be more comfortable with people in general.
8. If you’ve been wanting to try dance, modern is one the easiest styles for beginners. It’s the most open to bodily interpretation.
9. It’s just really, really fun. You get to learn new steps, move your body in ways you’ve never tried, and soon enough, you’ll be contributing to choreography.
10. Once you try it out, you’ll never want to stop dancing.
So there you have it! I encourage all of you to give modern dance a try, because truly everyone can be a dancer.