← Introduction To Pungra · Lesson 2 of 6 · 8 minutes
Dance, performing and fitness
Same word, four different goals
- Spiritual: dancing meditatively. Meaning matters more than fitness. Question to ask: do I zone into a different frequency?
- Partying: dancing for fun, at weddings, parties and nights out. The service provider is the DJ. Question: am I having fun?
- Performing: dancing for an audience, on stages, in teams and on social media. The service provider is the choreographer. Question: does it entertain?
- Exercising: dancing for your health. The service provider is the fitness instructor. Question: am I getting fitter?
Be discerning about which claims are being made and what you are choosing.
Who should choose dance for exercise?
- People who are busy.
- People in corporate jobs.
- People who do not want to perform on a stage.
Performing and exercise reach very different intensity
On the Borg scale (0 is nothing, 10 is maximal), performers usually stay between a quarter and a half of the scale, because a performer who is sweating hard does not look good on stage. Exercise should reach much higher, swinging repeatedly between low and high intervals, roughly 2 to 9.
What is your return on investment?
- Performing: hours and hours of rehearsal for a show of a few minutes, lots of standing around, often as an extra, with costumes and politics to manage.
- Exercising: turn up, one hour non-stop, then get on with your day.
Performing and dance-fitness side by side
| Dance-performing | Dance-fitness | |
|---|---|---|
| Main aim | Entertain and impress an audience | Your health and fitness |
| Led by | A choreographer | A fitness instructor |
| Intensity | Low to moderate, so you still look good on stage | High, swinging between low and high intervals |
| Time | Hours of rehearsal for a show of a few minutes | Turn up, one hour non-stop, then get on with your day |
| The goal | The day you perform in front of an audience | An event or video where you show your skill and energy |
| Watch out for | Hours of rehearsal and politics | Showing off |
What both share: a sense of achievement
One of the biggest benefits of dance-performing is also available in dance-fitness: a sense of achievement, accomplishment and having a goal.
For performers, the goal is the day they perform in front of an audience. It is extremely motivating. It keeps people practising, showing up for rehearsals and staying focused.
Dance-fitness should not be about performing on a stage. But you can still create that sense of a goal by aiming for an event where you show others how skilled and energetic you are in the movement. That is a good target to work towards.
Pungra recommends: form a team and make workout videos
Making workout videos with a team gives you a goal to practise towards. Together you improve your skill and fitness and stay focused. And you are also helping other people do the same.
“Doesn’t dancing give you confidence?”
Many activities build confidence. Performing on stage can help people handle adrenaline, but it is addictive because it stimulates dopamine. Exercise boosts other hormones too, including IGF-1, testosterone, serotonin and oxytocin.