Here is a great article I found that talks about the benefits of Zumba: http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/zumba/6-zumba-health-benefits.html

Dancing Calories Burned by Type – How many Calories does Dancing Burn?

Dancing is a great way to get your heart rate up, get rid of extra body fat, and build lean muscle. Because people enjoy doing it the likelihood of adherence is high, which is one of the most important predictors in any given exercise routines ability to help you get fit and stay fit.

This form of a workout uses a wide variety of motions to engage multiple muscle groups in a dynamic way that uses a significant amount of calories. The exact number burned depends largely on what style you’re doing.

There are so many different kinds of dance; to name a few of the better known, there is hip hop, salsa, ballet, swing, ballroom, belly dancing, tap, break dancing, folk, Zumba, country or Western, pole dancing, or even something like moshing. Say what you want about them, but they all count as some form of dance, and they all count as a workout.

Here’s a breakdown of approximate expenditure for each type; all estimation ranges are calculated for individuals weighing between 120-190 lbs. Actual figures will fluctuate according to variables such as weight, muscle mass, gender, and intensity or effort put forth.

Dancing calories burned per hour

Hip Hop – Hip hop involves large movements of the entire body, which places it high on the expenditure scale. It also often involves freestyling, meaning that muscle groups are kept guessing and are less likely to stop responding to the exercise or hit a plateau. In 60 minutes, hip hop will use between 370 (for people of lighter bodyweights) to 610 (for those weighing 180 and up) calories.

Calories burned Salsa dancing – Roughly 405 per 60 minutes for someone weighing 140, or around 480 for a 180 lb person.

Ballet – We estimate that there are 380 to 450 ballet calories burnt per hour. As an added bonus, this form of dance tends to be associated with great posture, a strong core, increased flexibility and very strong legs. It is known for building that long and lean look that women so often strive for, but make no mistake; ballet requires a great deal of strength. For example, pro football players have been known to use ballet training to improve their performances.

Swing – Hurling around your own bodyweight (and possibly your partner’s too) in this moderate to intense cardio workout burns between 300 and 550 cals. Depending on how high impact your style is and how much intensive maneuvering you do of your partner, it could very easily expend even more.

How many calories does ballroom dancing burn? – Slower paced styles will expend between 150 and 220, while quicker types will range between 250 and 320 per hour.

Belly dancing calories burned – Roughly 270-320 for less intense versions, and between 290 and 360 for faster & higher intensity styles.

Tap – This ends up being a full body cardio workout but the legs do the bulk of the work. This one has a high amount of variance in expenditure estimations; between 200 and 700 depending on pace, steps per hour, and the amount of effort required for the moves.

How many calories does break dancing burn? – This kind of dancing can require a great deal of strength and agility, as some of the moves require impressive poses holding one’s own bodyweight. We estimate that break dancing burns 400-650 cals per hour.

Folk – For slower types; 250-330 calories, for faster paced styles, between 310 and 420.

Zumba – Get the rundown on Zumba calories here

Country or Western – Again, the amount of effort put forth and the speed and difficulty of the movements will make a big difference, but generally speaking, this type of workout will use up between 290 and 420 calories.

Pole dancing calories burned – Along with building strength, you can burn between 250 and 350 while partaking in this popular workout trend.

Moshing – This style arguably might require the least amount of skill, but it uses a ton of energy; there are between 400-750 calories burned moshing, potentially.

Remember, all of these figures are estimates that are influenced by an extensive variety of complex factors.

Here is the link to the article from it’s original source: http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/article-detail/Dancing-Calories-Burned-by-Type-How-many-Calories-does-Dancing-Burn/c8/

Keep your body happy and health and stretch everyday!!!

~Jayme Williams

HERE ARE 10 GREAT REASONS TO TAP:

1. GREAT WORK-OUT! It’s one of the best cardiovascular exercises you can get. Your heart rate goes up with the constant movement. In fact, a typical hour of tap dancing is likely to burn between 350-400 calories, depending on the speed of the routines. Dancing three times a week is as beneficial (if not more) as spending the same time on an exercise bike, but it’s much more fun.
2. IMPROVED METABOLISM! Tap dancing is a high-energy exercise which works the leg muscles the most, and can be accentuated by the rest of the body. Muscles work a lot more than you might realize. And more muscle means a faster metabolism.
3. DISEASE CONTROL! The proof is documented. Studies have shown that dancing can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes and osteoporosis. (Bone requires a weight bearing activity to stimulate growth.)
4. STAYIN’ ALIVE! The American Heart Association reports that every 15 minutes someone dies as a direct result of heart problems caused by physical inactivity. Just 30 minutes of activity each day has been shown to help stave off heart disease and other problems.
5. EXPRESS CREATIVITY! The dancer can create his or her own rhythms. Improvisation can really bring out your artistic side, and it’s easy to get the hang of it once you’ve learn just a few basic steps.
6. ALONE OR NOT! Tap dancing only requires some instruction and minimal equipment. While you can certainly tap dance with a partner, tap dancing is just as gratifying when done alone.
7. DEVELOP BALANCE! The more you dance, the better your balance will become. Learning how to shift your weight while on the balls of your feet can drastically help build stability and steadiness in other activities throughout your life.
8. DANCE LIKE THE STARS! Share this talent with celebrities like Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Shirley Temple, Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, George Hamilton, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mario Lopez, Alfonso Ribero, Joey Lawrence, Tony Danza, Alyssa Milano, and John Travolta, who have all indulged in tap classes. No matter how young or old, anyone can do it.
9. RELIEVE STRESS! Remember that old advice about punching a pillow when something upsets you? Tap allows you to strike the floor instead! Also, you can never be in a bad mood while tap dancing. Even if you arrive to class after a terrible day, your frown will quickly turn upside-down
10. IT’S FUN! Hey, if that’s not enough motivation to pick up a pair of tap shoes, I don’t know what is. You should enjoy the activities that keep you in shape.

When Mallory took the stage for the swimwear section, she blew away the competition.

How did she do it? Intense training, smart eating, and Fitocracy.

She worked with Fitocracy cofounder Dick Talens to take the title of Miss New York 2012 and then Fitocrats Sohee Lee and Mark Fisher helped her prepare for Miss America 2013. And she logged all of her workouts for you to see.

Fitocrats represent!

Check out this video Mallory made to show Fitocrats her fitness routine.
Follow Mallory on Fitocracy! (You can see her tap dancing at about 2:50 into the video.)

Mallory isn’t the only famous tap dancer.  Check these out:
Michael Jackson
Richard Gere
Tony Danza
Robert Downey Jr.
Will Ferrell

Even though I am heading into my thirties, I am close still with my very first dance teacher, “Miss Sherry”. So close that she attended my bridal shower and has not missed sending a card on my birthday or Christmas. It’s these bonds shaped and developed in the name of dance, that has impacted my life so much more than dance alone. Miss Sherry, thank you for teaching me my first tondu and inspiring who I am today!

~Rachel W. Baldwin

Tiffany Hedman (center) in La Bayadere. Photo by Gene Schiavone.

When I was a young ballet student, I used to pop in my favorite video of Giselle and quickly fast-forward to Act II to watch Myrta’s famous entrance. A tall, ghostly woman appears from behind the misty trees and bourrées across the length of the stage. Her feet tremble at breakneck speed, while her veiled head remains perfectly level. The effect is astonishing—she is transformed into an ethereal spirit.

Later I would go to pointe class and, channeling my inner Myrta, attempt to bourrée across the floor. The result was a clumsy mess. My steps looked more like gallops, and man, did my feet hurt. I thought bourrées were supposed to be easy!

Bourrées are all over classical ballet, because nothing says “ballerina” better: Their lightness and delicacy ooze femininity. They can also create different impressions depending on how they’re performed—communicating Odette’s fear in Swan Lake, for example, or accentuating the Sylphs’ otherworldliness in Les Sylphides. Though bourrées are difficult to master, once you conquer them, you’ll find that they’re a powerful tool.

The Golden Rule
Mireille Favarel, assistant director of Milwaukee Ballet II, says the biggest mistake dancers make during bourrées is leading with their front foot. “Use the back foot to travel,” she says. “Push the back thigh against the front thigh and cross, cross, cross.” Leading with the back foot ensures that your legs will stay close together. You’ll take smaller steps and have a smoother movement quality.

“It’s as if the back leg is chasing the front leg,” says Boston Ballet second soloist Tiffany Hedman, who had to perfect her bourrées for one of the principal variations in “Emeralds” from George Balanchine’s Jewels. “Imagine there’s a quarter between your thighs, and don’t let that quarter fall.”

When traveling forward and backward, imagine overcrossing your fifth position (though you shouldn’t actually overcross). “The front leg is a little more active when you bourrée backwards than when you’re bourréeing to the side or the front,” says Favarel. “It helps push the back leg.

Sara Mearns in Swan Lake. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Small and Supple
Keep the space between your feet small to build speed and maintain smoothness. Large steps create a limping effect that screams, “My feet are killing me!” Not only that, they slow you down. “Think of making tiny little stitches, like a sewing machine,” says Kelly Myernick, a first soloist with Houston Ballet. “If the movement is small, the upper body can stay on one level.”

In addition to taking tiny steps, let your knees and ankles relax. Stiff, straight legs will not only make you look jerky but will also feel heavier on your feet. Allowing your knees and ankles to bend will take pressure off your toes and keep your upper body from looking stiff and strained.

Your port de bras should appear effortless while your feet are fluttering. This requires expertly timed coordination. “Your arms are moving much slower than your feet,” says Favarel. “You have to disassociate your upper and lower halves from each other.”

Pain Relief
As the saying goes, we must suffer to be beautiful—and unfortunately, this all too often applies to bourrées. The nature of the step can cause blisters and bruised toenails, so be prepared if you know you’re in for a bourrée-heavy rehearsal.

“Use thicker toe pads than usual, or add some lambswool or paper towels inside the box,” says Hedman. “As your feet get warmer and your shoes get soggier, you’ll sink more into your shoe, so really pack the toe.”

Choose your shoes wisely, too. “It can be deadly to bourrée on soft shoes,” Favarel says. “If the box is too soft, you can bruise your toenail, and if the shank is too soft, you can overstretch the tops of your feet.” A newer pair with a slightly harder shank is usually a better bet. (But you might want to hammer the box to make the new shoes quieter, since bourrées can be noisy.)

Myernick recently experienced firsthand how bourrées can mesmerize an audience. When she performed a series of bourrées as Myrta in Giselle, the crowd suddenly began to applaud. “I was so surprised because it’s not a virtuoso step,” she says. “But if done right, bourrées can be virtuosic.”

Famous Bourrée-ers
Here are four iconic roles that show off the dramatic range of bourées.
Odette in Swan Lake: Odette’s bourées sometimes take on a quivering quality to portray her fear of Prince Siegfried. At other times, they’re more upright, giving the illusion of flight as she flaps her wings.
Raymonda in Raymonda: Raymonda’s wedding variation in Act III consists almost entirely of bourées. They serve as a regal platform for her luxuriously stylized port de bras.
The Sleepwalker in La Sonnambula: In George Balanchine’s La Sonnambula, the Sleepwalker bourrées on pointe in sixth position (turned in) for the majority of her pas de deux with the Poet, which emphasizes her trance-like state—the fact that she’s literally and figuratively on a different plane than the Poet.
Myrta in Giselle: As the leader of the eerie Willis, Myrta does bourrées so fast and smooth that they’re almost imperceptible. She appears to be floating above the ground, which adds to the spooky, ghostly element of her role.

Amy Brandt is a dancer with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.