By Heidi Weaver
When people ask me what I miss most during these pandemic times, my mind immediately goes to dancing. Dancing has always been a big part of my life and a huge source of my happiness. I took ballet as a kid for 13 years, dabbled in West African Dance and Mexican Folk Dancing during college, and then danced any chance I could get most weekend nights throughout my 20’s. I thought I’d left my dancing days behind during my early 30’s when I became a mom and, other than the occasional baby bounce or toddler two-step, no longer felt in touch with my dancing self.
That all changed in my mid to late-30’s when I discovered the dance fitness craze, Zumba, that was sweeping every gym in town. I took so many Zumba classes at the Mission Valley YMCA that friends told me I may as well get certified to teach so that I could, probably for the first time in my life, get paid to do what I loved – a huge not-so-secret secret to wellness by the way. That certification, timed nicely with a recession-era layoff from my less than joyful law-firm gig, led to me teaching upwards of ten Zumba classes a week and performing all over San Diego County with a Zumba team. My life became an exciting whirlwind of dance, loud music, sweaty neon clothes, and large groups of happy people.
Now I have a busy day job again, but when Covid hit I was still teaching a couple of Aqua Zumba classes a week at the Y and going out dancing any chance I could get at my neighborhood live-music venues. That all came to an abrupt halt in mid-March, of course, and it’s been tough going for a dancer ever since. While I’ve seen some very creative dance outlets on Zoom, TikTok and YouTube over the past months. that’s not the same to me as teaching an enthusiastic in-person dance class or going dancing, and I thought I needed those experiences to tap into my happy-dance place.
Fortunately, I’ve learned that’s not the case. Turns out that the chorus from a great song and a simple movement can be all it takes to get those mood-boosting, dance endorphins flowing. Indeed, studies show any dance is good for the brain. According to a recent National Geographic article entitled Virtual dance parties are popular. What’s behind their rise?, “not only do endorphins kick in with the physical touch and the aerobic movement of dance, but frequent dancing increases neuroplasticity, the ability to form new neural connections, which help in recovering from injury and disease.” That’s certainly beneficial these days.
Since March my kids and I have been dancing and laughing along with the Just Dance game on Nintendo Switch, I dance a little in the grocery store aisle when a good song comes on, and there’s always dancing in your car at a red light. Dancing in your office? Why not – no one’s there. I’m finding that it’s really hard to dance with a sad look on your face and it’s really easy to bust a move no matter where you are, audience or no audience. So if you’re like me and miss the big, loud, social aspects of dancing, I hope you can continue to enjoy the fun aspect of dancing and soak up all the happiness and wellness that a micro-dose of dance can generate. It’s not the same, but it’s still awesome.
Heidi Weaver is the Graduate Career Advisor at California Western School of Law and an experienced litigator. She is also a Volunteer Attorney at Casa Cornelia Law Center, a Girl Scout Leader, a licensed Zumba instructor, and a recreational runner. She serves as a new member of the SDCBA’s Programs & Education Committee and the Wellness and Pandemic Planning Subcommittees.