Dance Keeps Spirits High

Posted on 02/25/2022 Last updated on 04/12/2022

Top photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash

When I’m not teaching in school as an ALT, I teach dance to locals in my town every Sunday. I’ve been doing this for over a decade, and saw it as my chance to share my passion and talent with local residents who wanted to learn. But after the COVID-19 pandemic began, I learned from my students and the friends who dance with me that I was doing much than just organizing a dance team.

How It Began

I started teaching in Matsudo City as a cultural ambassador at the Matsudo International Exchange Association. At first, I was teaching local residents and Japanese kindergartens how to dance. I also taught at a local church, where those who attended learned of my skills and would invite me to church events.

In teaching and organizing a dance team here in Japan, I use a lot of English. I was able to teach my Japanese students basic English through the dance directions I would give. “Left, right, single-single double-double, 1, 2, 3, 4….”

Then, one day, they had an English teacher seminar for those who aspire to be an English teacher or an ALT. People from the church organization asked me to do a performance for the event. After my dancing performance, the individuals giving the seminar approached me and praised the way I was able to communicate English and Japanese for the people attending. They were wowed and impressed! They felt, “I can be a good English teacher”, which was a goal I was working toward at the time.

From that experience , whenever I had the chance to teach my dance students English, I would emphasize the English words that they can use in the real life, not just in dancing. I learned the effectiveness of having a fun activity like dancing while learning English. It helps in building friendship, makes it easier for the students to learn while doing a fun activity, and it helps them relax.

How It Helped

In time, I learned that my influence on locals not only helped improved physical health with exercise, but also mental health and self esteem. Many of my Japanese students and I have performed at several events, which require lots of practice. It’s a particularly in-depth exercise and it keeps the dance learners fit and healthy. This in turn helps them feel proud about being in shape, and when people compliment the performances.

Recently, after a practice session, one of my Japanese student shared her personal experience during the darkest months of the pandemic. She had been infected with COVID-19, and she believed that the strength and training of our rehearsals had actually helped her.

The physical and mental stamina she had built up helped her in overcoming illness. Plus, she was looking forward to getting well so that she could continue her dance lessons. She was hoping to dance with the rest of us again. Instead of being scared, she remained optimistic and kept her spirits keep high.

In Conclusion

I think this is my tip to all. Find your passion, as I did with dance, and you’ll also find many opportunities. You can help people, you can get inspired by them, and together, we can build up our physical and mental fortitude. During these difficult few years, my passion in helping people through dance has only grown. I realize that dance is a tool to help and improve the health and well-being of others. And on top of that, it is also a tool for communication.

My “dance communication” improves the quality of life of the people around me. It helps them learn. It helps them grow. Maybe it even helped in some small way with the hard times we’re all going through these days. Whatever the case, I have learned it’s a passion worth pursuing. And that’s why I continue to teach dance class in my town every Sunday.

Photo Credits:

Top photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash

Additional photos provided by Diane Soria