I am from Venezuela. Both my parents were from Colombia and I was born and raised in Venezuela. When I left my country in 2003 to come to Ireland, I left many things behind that were part of my culture, part of who I really am as a Venezuelan and Latin American. One of the things I left behind was Latin dancing.

From an early age, I was surrounded by the infectious rhythms of salsa, merengue and vallenato. I still vividly remember my mum, some afternoons after school putting music on and just dancing for the sake of it – such a beautiful memory of such a joyous moment.

Movement through dancing became second nature to me; a way to express myself with joy, to connect with others. In my family, everybody dances. Not professionally, but that doesn’t stop us. Plus, there was always music playing everywhere, particularly at the weekends.

When I first arrived in Ireland, Latin music was not as popular as it is now and I missed it terribly. Now, we have places where you can go and explore a little bit of the Latin American flavour through music and dancing. I have been to some of these and transported back to those great memories I cultivated back home.

Around two years ago, I had a realisation that in a way has given a new-found meaning to dancing and its incredible benefits, mentally and physically, that I was not aware of at all.

When I had the opportunity to be part of the TV series Second Chances for Virgin Media where I shared my journey in sobriety, the production team sent me to speak to psychotherapist, David Mooney, who is also a renowned Movement Medicine Teacher.

 

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This was part of the activities I had to engage in to give more meaning to my journey in the series. In one of the sessions, David explained to me the neuroscience of dance and how dancing has a significant impact on the nervous system benefiting both the brain and the body in different ways: it enhances neuroplasticity, boosts dopamine and serotonin, strengthens the motor system, reduces stress and anxiety, improves memory and cognitive function, enhances proprioception and reflexes and delays neurodegenerative diseases.

As you can see, the benefits are powerful for our brain, body, heart and soul.

I was beyond fascinated when I was presented with this wealth of scientific information. I could not believe that this activity I have been practising throughout my life was benefiting me in a way I was so oblivious to. Dancing is second nature to me. In Venezuela, I just danced. I never did it thinking about the benefits. In fact, I did not know about the benefits at all.

It’s not surprising that now that I am aware of the benefits of movement through dancing, I want to dance more and more until I am physically incapable of doing so. Through dancing, I would like to express and share joy. I would like to share with everybody that part of me that is very vibrant, hoping that it is contagious. For this, I am using my social media platforms.

If you see me dancing to any of the Latin American rhythms, whether it is salsa, merengue, vallenato, lambada or bachata, you are more than welcome to come and join me. And together we can have a Latin party!

Dancing is not just an activity for me. It is a deep connection to my roots. It is a reminder of who I am and where I come from. I now know that no matter where I go, the music and the love for dance will always be with me.