Category Archives: Your Jacki’s Class

Dancing for your mental health

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This may be the best type of exercise for mental health

By Sarah Berry

February 10, 2024 — 5.00am Sydney Morning Herald

It sparks a rush of stress-relieving, euphoria-inducing endorphins; distracts us from negative emotions; and immerses us in the experience of our breath and body. Exercise is so potent, not just for our physical health, but for our mental health that it can be even more effective than medication or counselling.

But a new metanalysis suggests the type of exercise we choose still matters. The paper, published in the journal Sport’s Medicine, found that dance is as good – and sometimes better – than other types of physical activity (including running or going to the gym) for improving emotional well-being, depression, social cognition and some aspects of memory.

In a former life, Dr Alycia Fong Yan was a professional dancer. She never liked going to the gym, lifting weights or running on a treadmill, but then dancing never felt like exercise.

Teaching ballet classes to adults who had never danced before, Fong Yan noticed that when the students were absorbed in the music and movement, they didn’t realise they were doing squats – or pliés, in ballet terminology. “It is exercise in disguise”, says Fong Yan, the study’s lead author from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health and Sydney Musculoskeletal Health.

In a previous paper, Fong Yan compared the physical benefits of dance to other forms of activities and found that it is just as good for body composition, blood biomarkers, musculoskeletal function, mobility and cardiovascular function.

Next, she wanted to compare psychological and cognitive health outcomes of different activities with dance, as well as the adherence rates.

So, the research team analysed 27 studies comparing structured dance classes – including modern, jazz, Zumba, step, ballet, folk, belly or ballroom – with other physical activities including team sport (like soccer or volleyball), martial arts, running, walking and weight training. Participants, who ranged in age and health status attended one or more 30 to 90 minute classes a week, for at least six weeks.

Not only were dance class participants more likely to stay the course, they found dance was equally effective as other physical activity interventions in improving quality of life, reducing anxiety and improving depressive symptoms. Preliminary evidence also found dance to be superior to other physical activity interventions to improve motivation, aspects of memory social cognition and to reduce distress.

Fong Yan hopes the findings will inform exercise prescriptions and incorporate different types of dance to cater to the physical requirements of the patient (do they need a form with more or less balance, for instance) as well as their psychological, social and cognitive needs.

There are specific characteristics that underpin the benefits.

“Dancing requires superior motor planning and memory, multitasking, and focused and conscious attention to learn new movement patterns, remember choreographed sequences of movement, moving in time with the music, and particular focus and attention on movement quality and artistic expression,” writes Fong Yan and her colleagues.

It allows physical expression of creativity and emotion; listening to music we enjoy has its own mental health benefits; while moving in synchrony with others, whether it’s in a group or in a pair, enhances social bonding. And when there is trustful interpersonal touch, which is common in dance, it is associated with enhanced homeostatic regulation and immunoregulation.

Dancing can also just be more fun than being told to do 50 squats.

Michaela Upton stumbled across aerobic dance classes in Bondi while using the fitness membership Class Pass. The 32-year-old IT worker had tried Pilates, yoga, HIIT and spin classes but found herself “clock-watching” waiting for the sessions to end.

“Then I did a class at The Upbeat [which offers dance-inspired workout classes] and 45 minutes flew by,” she recalls. “It was the feeling of euphoria when you get the music pumping, and you’re doing something to the beat of that. You get in this flow where you forget you’re working out.”

At times when she has felt anxious or struggled with sleeping, going even once or twice a week helps: “I feel so much more positive and am a nicer person to be around generally.”

Dr Ben Singh, a research fellow at the University of South Australia’s Allied Health & Human Performance says the study highlights how diverse and approachable dance is as a form of physical activity.

“Ultimately, the study encourages personalised, enjoyable physical activity choices for sustained mental health benefits,” he says. “While the study showcases the effectiveness of dance interventions, it underscores the broader principle that choosing physical activities one enjoys is critical for mental health benefits. This might involve dance, while for others, it could entail engaging in other enjoyable physical activities such as cycling, walking, swimming, yoga, or hitting the gym and lifting weights.”

Choosing shoes for Jacki’s

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Students often ask about the shoes that instructors wear, and what we would recommend for Jacki’s program.

Please read Things to look for in an aerobic shoe at the end of this article.

For myself, I’ve worn Ryka shoes for the past 15+ years. Their Studio Flex model (http://www.ryka.com.au/products/studio-flex) is designed for indoor aerobics and is very light-weight, so is perfectly suited to Jacki’s Dance classes. Another big plus for me is that these shoes are available in black, and since I generally wear black pants I can achieve a “longer” look. Pairing dark long pants with white shoes visually cuts you off at the ankles and makes the wearer appear shorter. At 5’2″ I don’t need any help to look short!

Ryka shoes (from the USA) are made specifically for women’s feet and feature a narrow heel with a wider front. Ryka change their styles from year to year, so I’ve worn plenty of different models, but all work well for our classes. The Athlete’s Foot carry a limited range of Ryka shoes but they are expensive.

Many students have mentioned that when they are shopping for a new pair of shoes for aerobic dancing classes, the shop assistants always recommend a cross trainer. This occurs, I think, because the retailers do not know what aerobic dancing exercise is, and they think that a cross trainer will do the job simply because it is a general all purpose type of exercise shoe. However, because the design of the cross trainer is non-specific (for any particular sport or activity), this means that functionality may be compromised in other areas.

I would recommend a shoe designed for netball, squash or tennis, since the moves in these sports are quite similar to those used in aerobic dancing classes — swivelling and lateral movements in amongst the jogging and lunging actions of the dance routines.

The good news is that this style of shoe is readily available in many brands and price ranges. And I’ve even seen them in black. 🙂

 

Session Names

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Session Names
Here’s every session we’ve danced in Australia! How many have you done?

No.  Term    Year  Session Name

176 Term 1 2025 Follow The Sun

175 Term 4 2024 Feel The Love
174 Term 3 2024 Celebrate Dance
173 Term 2 2024 Curtain Call
172 Term 1 2024 Sunshine and Sunsets

171 Term 4 2023 Crazy Love
170 Term 3 2023 Follow Your Heart
169 Term 2 2023 Keep Dancin’
168 Term 1 2023 Beach Party

167 Term 4 2022 Wild & Free
166 Term 3 2022 Everlasting Love
165 Term 2 2022 (more) Good Times
164 Term 1 2022 Summer Feelings

163 Term 4 2021 Celebrate Blessings
163 Term 3 2021 (Pushed to term 4 due to COVID-19)
162 Term 2 2021 Get Up & Dance
161 Term 1 2021 Dreams

160 Term 4 2020 Never Too Late
159 Term 3 2020 Smile
159 Term 2 2020 (Pushed to term 3 due to COVID-19)
158 Term 1 2020 Dance Like There’s Heaven On Earth

157 Term 4 2019 Island Time
156 Term 3 2019 What A Feeling!
155 Term 2 2019 Celebrate Fun
154 Term 1 2019 Joy Love Dance

153 Term 4 2018 Summer Breeze
152 Term 3 2018 Shape Of The Heart
151 Term 2 2018 Generation Dance
150 Term 1 2018 Illuminate

149 Term 4 2017 Time Out
148 Term 3 2017 Dance More
147 Term 2 2017 Decades of Dancing
146 Term 1 2017 Looking Up

145 Term 4 2016 Blue Skies
144 Term 3 2016 Carpe Diem
143 Term 2 2016 Love
142 Term 1 2016 Rock

141 Term 4 2015 Sweet Summer
140 Term 3 2015 Good Times
139 Term 2 2015 Live It Up
138 Term 1 2015 It’s All About Dance

137 Term 4 2014 Happy
136 Term 3 2014 Dancing In The Rain
135 Term 2 2014 Unfurl Your Dreams
134 Term 1 2014 Live Love Laugh

133 Term 4 2013 Shine
132 Term 3 2013 Festival of Fitness
131 Term 2 2013 Girl’s Night Out
130 Term 1 2013 Star

129  Term 4  2012   Getaway
128  Term 3  2012   Feeling Good!
127  Term 2  2012   Hit The Lights
126  Term 1  2012   Rock On

125  Term 4  2011   Fireworks
124  Term 3  2011   Just Dance
123  Term 2  2011   Wings
122  Term 1  2011   Dynamite

121  Term 4  2010   Ship Shape at Jacki’s
120  Term 3  2010   Love Love Love
119  Term 2  2010   Enchanted
118  Term 1  2010   The Original

117  Term 4  2009   Summer’s Coming
116 Term 3   2009   All Things Bright and Beautiful
115  Term 2  2009   Celebrate Life
114  Term 1  2009   Superheros

113  Term 4  2008   A Summer Collection
112  Term 3  2008   Forever Young
111  Term 2  2008   Best Friends
110  Term 1  2008   Can’t Stop Dancing

109  Term 4  2007   IslandGirls
108  Term 3  2007   Starring Role
107  Term 2  2007   Strut Your Style
106  Term 1  2007   An Invitation to Dance

105  Term 4  2006   Spring 2006
104  Term 3  2006   Winter Workout 2006
103  Term 2  2006   Seasons of Love
102  Term 1  2006   Magic Moments

101  Term 4  2005   Spring Break
100  Term 3  2005   Back to the Island
099  Term 2  2005   From the Bottom of My Heart
098  Term 1  2005   Still Fired Up

097  Term 4  2004   Break Away
096  Term 3  2004   Wildflowers
095  Term 2  2004   A World of Good
094  Term 1  2004   Still Hooked on Dancin’

093  Term 4  2003   Barefootin’
092  Term 3  2003   Love Is a Wonderful Thing
091  Term 2  2003   I Got the Music in Me
090  Term 1  2003   Here Comes the Sun

089  Term 4  2002   Still Lookin’ Good
088  Term 3  2002   Rock & Roll Party at Jacki’s
087  Term 2  2002   Let Freedom Ring
086  Term 1  2002   Reach for the Stars

085  Term 4  2001   Spring Fling
084  Term 3  2001   Sweet Summer
083  Term 2  2001   Jacki’s Dance Mix
082  Term 1  2001   Dance Party

081  Term 4  2000   Center Stage
080  Term 3  2000   Summer
079  Term 2  2000   Rhythm Divine
078  Term 1  2000   Serious Fun

077  Term 4  1999   Dance into the Millennium and Beyond
076  Term 3  1999   Summer Breeze
075  Term 2  1999   Hot Ticket
074  Term 1  1999   Jump Swing Rock ‘n Roll

073  Term 4  1998   Come Dance With Me
072  Term 3  1998   Living On Sunshine
071  Term 2  1998   Flying High
070  Term 1  1998   It’s Magic

069  Term 4  1997   Lighten Up
068  Term 3  1997   Love Travels
067  Term 2  1997   Do Good Anyway
066  Term 1  1997   Dance! Shout!

065  Term 4  1996   Earth Fire Water Air
064  Term 3  1996   Summer Games
063  Term 2  1996   Play
062  Term 1  1996   Pizza

061  Term 4  1995   Colors of the Wind
060  Term 3  1995   Hakuna Matata
059  Term 2  1995   Wildflowers
058  Term 1  1995   You Gotta Have Faith

057  Term 4  1994   Circle of Life
056  Term 3  1994   Summer of ’94
055  Term 2  1994   Above & Beyond
054  Term 1  1994   At the Movies

053  Term 4  1993   Moondance
052  Term 3  1993   Ragtop Day
051  Term 2  1993   New Horizons
050  Term 1  1993   Love & Luck

049  Term 4  1992   With Spirit
048  Term 3  1992   Fun & Games
047  Term 2  1992   Love Revolution
046  Term 1  1992   The Good Life

045  Term 4  1991   Going Dancing
044  Term 3  1991   Escapade
043  Term 2  1991   Anything Is Possible
042  Term 1  1991   Boogie & Beethoven

041  Term 4  1990   Make It Happen
040  Term 3  1990   Gypsy in My Soul
039  Term 2  1990   Rock Rolls On
038  Term 1  1990   Free To Be

037  Term 4  1989   Summer Lovers
036  Term 3  1989   You Should Be Dancing
035  Term 2  1989   Wild Again
034  Term 1  1989   What a Wonderful World

033  Term 4  1988   Endless Summer
032  Term 3  1988   Dare to Dance
031  Term 2  1988   Love Power
030  Term 1  1988   Shoot the Works

029  Term 4  1987   Summer Madness
028  Term 3  1987   On My Way
027  Term 2  1987   Come On Shout
026  Term 1  1987   Headed for the Future

025  Term 4  1986   Summer Camp
024  Term 3  1986   Command Performance
023  Term 2  1986   Rising Star
022  Term 1  1986   Turn Around the World

021  Term 4  1985   Here Comes Summer
020  Term 3  1985   The Show Must Go On
019  Term 2  1985   Reach Out
018  Term 1  1985   The Best of Times

017  Summer* 1984   Christmas of ‘84
016  Term 4  1984     Strive
015  Term 3  1984     Voice of the Heart
014  Term 2  1984     Fired Up
013  Term 1  1984     Hooked on Dancin’

012  Summer*  1983  Sailing
011  Session 4#   1983   Harmony
010  Session 3#   1983   Lookin’ Good
009  Session 2#   1983   High Spirits
008  Session 1#   1983   Hearts

007  Summer*  1982   Carnival of Love
006  Term 3  1982      One in a Million
005  Term 2  1982      A Chance to Dance
004  Term 1  1982      Camelot

003  Summer*  1981 Dreams
002  Term 3  1981 Rhapsody in Blue
001  Term 2  1981 Hallelujah

*  For the first four years, some instructors taught a 6-week session during the summer school holidays.

#  In 1984, the NSW school year changed from three terms to four terms. Jacki’s was a year ahead, presenting four sessions in 1983 across the schools’ three terms.

Female Muscle Diagram and Definitions

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Female muscle diagram

Female muscle diagram

DEFINITIONS

Abductor muscle (ab-duhk-ter)  A muscle which draws a limb away from the median plane of the body.

Abs or abdominals (ab-dom-uh-nl)  The abdominal muscles are a group of 6 muscles that extend from various places on the ribs to various places on the pelvis. They provide movement and support to the trunk, often called the core. They also assist in the breathing process.

Adductor muscle (uh-duhk-ter)  A muscle which brings a part of the anatomy closer to the median plane of the body.

Aerobic (ai-roh-bik)  Requiring the presence of air or oxygen.

Bis or biceps (bahy-seps)  A flexor muscle located in the front of the upper arm and assisting in bending the arm.

Core (kohr) – see abdominals – The six abdominal muscles are: transverse abdominal, two internal obliques, two external obliques and the rectus abdominis.

Cuffs or Rotators Cuffs (roh-ta-tor)  A  bandlike structure encircling and supporting the shoulder joint, formed by four muscles attached and merging with the joint capsule.

Glutes or gluteous maximus (gloo-te-us mak-suh-muhs)  The broad, thick, outermost muscle of the buttocks, involved in the rotation and extension of the thigh.  The largest muscle in the body.

Hams or hamstrings (ham-strings)  Refers to one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee.

Karvonen Method – The method of taking heartrates that factors in the resting heart rate to calculate a target heart rate using a range of 50-85%.

Lats or latissimus dorsi (luh-tis-uh-muhs dawr-sahy)   A broad, flat muscle on each side of the midback, the action of which draws the arm backwards and downward and rotates the front of the arm toward the body.

Muscle (muhs-uhl) – A tissue composed of cells or fibers, the contraction of which produces movement in the body

Obliques (oh-bleek)  The external oblique muscles of the abdomen functions to pull the chest downwards and compress the abdominal cavity.  When the internal oblique contracts it compresses the organs of the abdomen, pushing them up into the diaphragm.  Its contraction also rotates and side-bends the trunk by pulling the rib cage and midline towards the hip and lower back.

Pecs or pectorals (pek-ter-uhl)  A thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest (anterior) of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female.

Quads or quadriceps (kwod-ruh-seps)  A large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles in the front of the thigh, the action of which extends the leg or bends the hip joint.

Traps or trapezius (truh-pee-zee-uhs)  A broad, flat muscle on each side of the upper and back part of the neck, shoulders and back, the action of which raises, or rotates, or draws back the shoulders, and pulls the head backwards or to one side.

Tris or triceps (trahy-seps)  A muscle having three heads or points of origin, especially the muscle on the back of the arm, the action of which straightens the elbow.

Vertifirm™ (ver-ti-firm) – “vertical firmness” –  Standing up floor exercises allowing you the benefit of working more than one muscle group at a time by adding upper body resistance training.