National Dance Day 2011

by Diane Forrest, RN

In Ecclesiastes 3 it states,

" ¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

Being brought up in a Southern Baptist Church, we didn't hear much about this verse. In fact I remember once when the music minister brought in a ballet group it put the whole congregation in a uproar.

Dance is a wonderful thing, with plenty of benefits. Dancers can:

1. become flexible;

2. gain strength;

3. increase endurance; and

4. establish a sense of well being.

Dancing increases the heart and lungs as well as provide for a social and fun atmosphere.

Each culture has their own ritualistic way of dance that has been around since the beginning of time. When I think about tribal dances I recall the scene from The Jewel of the Nile with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner where she dances to capture her man's heart or in the movie Crocodile Dundee when the aborigines men perform their dance around the campfire.

Every Spring our local Indian village hosts a Pow Wow where Native Americans travel from all across the country to join others in traditional dances. This event is open to the public and is a joy to watch the young and old practice the skills passed down from generation after generation.

These days’ people are tuning into Dancing with the stars to watch as some of their favorite personalities learn difficult dance moves to compete for the grand prize, a mirrored ball trophy. This fascination with dance has also prompted several video games that allows people to dance along to their television screen for fun and exercise.

I have never been much of a dancer; I never took dancing as a child because, well as my daddy tells me, I lacked coordination. I couldn't even walk and chew gum at the same time. When I asked my friend if he planned to dance he said "Sure! In my office at home!"

Dancing is great for you, gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing. In the words of the Lee Ann Womack song, "when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance!"

So get up and dance to your favorite tune, enjoy the moment!

This week on Keeping it Simple

April 24 - May 1, 2011  we will  discuss the following:

World Meningitis Day 

World Meningitis Day is happening on Sunday 24 April 2011 when meningitis organizations’ from across the globe will come together to raise awareness about the devastating effects of meningitis and septicaemia and encourage prevention through vaccination in the third annual World Meningitis Day.

Caregiving from a Caregiver’s Perspective – Part 3

One of the main duties of a nurse in a medical facility is charting.  From the minute you meet a patient you begin writing, asking questions, filling out forms.  

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW)

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual celebration of the significant role immunizations play in keeping our children and our communities healthy. Immunization is one of the best ways parents can protect their infants and young children from potentially serious diseases. Check to see if your child is up to date on immunizations.

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org, and publicizes the hotlines' free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual violence; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual violence, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

National Kids and Pets Day

The bond between a child and a pet is a silent and magical connection.  It is a link between two souls that was created in the stars above.  It is a love and loyalty that becomes an eternal part of the human experience.  There is nothing more pure, more at peace, more perfect, than the love a child and their pet share together. ~ Colleen Paige Pet Lifestyle Expert and Founder of National Kids & Pets Day

National Dance Day

International Dance Day (World Dance Day) has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID), an umbrella organization within UNESCO for all kinds of dance.

The holiday was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute. The date was suggested by Pyotr Gusev to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre.

Among the goals of the Dance Day are to increase the awareness of the importance of dance among the general public, as well as to persuade governments all over the world to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education, from primary to higher.

National Honesty Day

Things you’ll need:

-        be honest this day and everyday

-        celebrate it everyday but this is a day to celebrate it

What’s that you say? Never heard of it? It was officially introduced in the early 1990′s by M. Hirsh Goldberg as a way to honor the honorable and encourage honesty. He selected this day because “April begins with a day dedicated to lying (April Fool’s Day) and it should end on a higher moral note.”  Interesting thought, eh?