Let me get straight to the point: nearly half of all dementia cases don’t have to happen.
A 2024 Government of Canada report analyzed data from Canadian populations and found that 40% of dementia cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes (source: canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/dementia). Not medication. Not expensive treatments. Simple changes like staying physically active, keeping socially connected, and challenging our brains with new learning.
The problem? Most of us struggle to do all three consistently. We might walk for exercise but do it alone. We might socialize at coffee but sit still while we chat. We might do crossword puzzles but never leave the house.
Dance does all three at once. That’s not me being biased as a studio owner—that’s what makes dance uniquely powerful for brain health.
When you’re learning a line dance, your brain is working on multiple levels simultaneously. You’re memorizing the grapevine sequence while your feet are moving, listening for the beat change, watching the person beside you to stay in sync, and navigating the space so you don’t bump into anyone. That’s physical challenge, social awareness, and serious mental work happening all at once.
Tap dancing might be even more demanding. You’re essentially learning a new language with every shuffle, flap, and ball-change that requires your brain to coordinate rhythm, timing, and precise foot placement. Zumba keeps you moving to changing rhythms and patterns. Broadway-style dance fitness adds storytelling and expression to the mix.
Here’s what I see in my classes: people getting sharper with every passing week. Many clients struggle to remember combinations when they first start out. However, as I often say: “Repeat, repeat, repeat.” By doing this, new dancers who once struggled to remember combinations grow more confident and begin thinking more quickly. I have been told they feel stronger tackling the daily tasks of living, are better at remembering names, appointments and even where they left their keys.
Canadian research backs this up. Research shows dance can actually increase the size of your hippocampus—the memory centre of your brain. Dance outperforms other types of exercise for brain health because it’s not just repetitive movement. Every class requires you to learn, adapt, and remember something new.
Many new clients come for the fitness classes because this is what they know and has clear goals. Something pulls them into Line Dancing and they discover how mentally demanding it is and they love it. They realize that dance classes improve their mental sharpness giving them greater independence while aging.
And here’s the honest truth: it works because people actually enjoy it. You’re not forcing yourself to do something you dread. You’re laughing with friends, feeling accomplished, and look forward to learning each week.
We can’t control everything about aging. But we can influence our mental decline. Forty percent of dementia cases are preventable, and dance might be one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to be in that 40%.
Your brain can still change and grow, whether you’re 55 or 85. The question is: are you going to let it?