Lafayette area kicks up their heels for ‘Day of Dance’

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Kathryn Weil Center for Education, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and the Spirit of Women will host the 2008 Spirit of Women Day of Dance for Health from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Tippecanoe Mall’s center court to inspire area residents toward better overall health. Proving that exercise can be both fun and beneficial to the heart, the program combines the fun of dancing to different forms of music, such as ballroom dancing, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, salsa, swing and hip-hop, with health screenings and consumer education on heart disease and other women’s health issues. Lafayette joins more than 60 other cities to simultaneously host Day of Dance.

“Dancing is a sport we all love, and an activity that has powerful benefits for our body,” said Jackie Bahler, director of the Kathryn Weil Center for Education. “On Feb. 23, we are dancing for fun and hoping to inspire a lifetime of healthy living for every participant.”

The schedule for Feb. 23 is the following:

• 1 p.m.: Marla’s Music and Motion
• 1:15 p.m.: Dance Magic
• 1:45 p.m.: Triple “S” Sassy Snake Stompers
• 2 p.m.: Y-Dance
• 2:15 p.m.: TLC (Tap Lover’s Club)
• 2:35 p.m.: Harrison Raiderettes
• 2:50 p.m.: Red Shoe fashion show
• 3:10 p.m.: Purdue Ballroom Dance Club
• 3:30 p.m.: Bare Bones Belly Dance
• 4 p.m.: Dance Moves and Gymnastics (DMG)
• 4:15 p.m.: Lafayette Fun Squares and Purdue Crazy Eights

In addition, several health screenings and information tables will be available during the event. The first 50 people who check in at the cholesterol booth will receive a free total cholesterol screening; afterwards the total cholesterol screening is $5.

Dancing can burn as many calories as swimming, walking or riding a bike; as many as 200 to 400 calories per hour. If done on a regular basis as a form of exercise, many health benefits result including weight maintenance or weight loss, blood pressure and cholesterol management, increased energy, decreased sadness and depression, increased coordination and muscle strength and an overall sense of well-being. In addition, dancing can help develop new social connections as well as enhance and strengthen relationships.

Nearly 500,000 women die each year of cardiovascular disease, making it the leading cause of death for American women. One in two women will die of heart disease, yet they continue not to personalize their individual risk for cardiovascular disease.

The 2008 National Day of Dance for Health is presented by the Spirit of Women Health Network, The Heart Truth campaign, Good Housekeeping magazine, The Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership, Quaker Oats, Wheat Thins, Revolution Health, the PAD Coalition and the National Stroke Association.
The Kathryn Weil Center for Education and St. Elizabeth Regional Health are members of the Spirit of Women, a national coalition of hospitals and health care providers that pledge to provide the highest standards of excellence in women’s health, education and community outreach.

For more information, please call the Kathryn Weil Center for Education at (765) 449-5133.