Why should you start dancing in 2026?

New Year, new hobby? Here’s why you should give dancing a go in 2026…

As we enter the new year, many of us will be thinking of New Year’s resolutions. A lot of us will be wanting to try something new, exercise more, meet new friends or revisit an old hobby in 2026. This is where we find the power of dancing!

One of the most joyful and transformative activities for older adults is dancing. Dance offers a unique blend of physical exercise, mental stimulation, and social connection that can significantly enhance quality of life. Whether it’s ballroom, line dancing, or even virtual dance classes, moving to music is a fun, accessible way to stay active, boost mood, and keep the mind sharp.

The science behind dance…

Research continues to highlight the profound impact of dance on healthy ageing. Dancing combines aerobic exercise with coordination, rhythm, and memory challenges, creating a full-body and brain workout. According to a 2024 review in Medical News Today, “Dance can be an enjoyable way to help improve the social interactions of older adults,” and it found dance to be “as effective or more effective than other forms of physical activity for improving a range of psychological and cognitive outcomes.”

Medical News Today. (2024). Dance for older adults: Benefits and tips. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dance-for-older-adults

Here are our top reasons to start dancing in 2026:

• Physical Health Benefits

Dancing is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways for older adults to stay physically active. It improves cardiovascular health by raising the heart rate and enhancing circulation, supporting heart health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Regular dance practice strengthens stabilising muscles and improves proprioception, which helps prevent falls. Many dance styles involve weight-bearing movements that build strength in the legs, core, and even upper body to build muscle and endurance.

Dancing will also help to improve your joint and bone health. Weight-bearing movements in dance help to maintain bone density, lowering the risk of osteoporosis. Dance movements will also encourage stretching and range of motion, reducing stiffness and supporting joint health.

• Mental Health Benefits

Dancing isn’t just good for the body; it has incredible benefits for the mind, too. Moving to music releases endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones, which help combat anxiety and depression. Dance encourages being present in the moment, which can ease worry and improve emotional resilience, which promotes mindfulness.

Dance enhances cognitive function in older adults by encouraging many areas of the brain all at once. Learning and remembering dance sequences activate the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory formation. This helps maintain and improve short-term and long-term memory. Studies have shown that older adults who engage in dance have a significantly lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who do less cognitively demanding activities.

• Social Benefits

Dance is all about connection; dancing within a community group and social dance events create opportunities to meet new people and form friendships, reducing feelings of isolation.

Dancing creates happy experiences, often intertwined with memories from past dancing experiences. Moving to music in a group setting promotes laughter, fun, and emotional connection, which are essential for mental well-being.

How can Xpress-Yourself Dance help you get into dancing in 2026?

Xpress‑Yourself Dance CIC makes it easy for older adults to start dancing in 2026 with our Keep Dancing weekly timetable, which offers both in‑person classes across Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Sandwell and online classes via Zoom.

• Sutton Coldfield (Mondays 10:00–11:00),
• Acocks Green (Mondays 10:00–11:00)
• Aldridge (Mondays 11:30–12:30)
• Garretts Green (Mondays 11:30–12:30)
• Carers class Online (Tuesdays 9:30-10:30)
• Carers class at Shenley Court Hall in Birmingham (Tuesdays 11:00–12:00)
• Harborne (Tuesdays 13:30–14:30)
• Shirley (Tuesdays 13:30–14:30)
• Quinton (Thursdays 9:15–10:15)
• Sheldon (Thursdays 11:00–12:00)
• Bentley Heath (Thursdays 11:30–12:30),
• Moseley (Thursdays 12:30–13:30),
• Marston Green (Thursdays 13:10–14:10)
• Greatest Hits Online (Fridays 9:30-10:30)

Our classes range in price from £2.50 – £6.

To browse our classes, follow the link here: Dance classes

Wyou ould like to join a Keep Dancing class in 2026?
We have a brand new discount for dancers who are brand new to Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC, our New Dancer 6 classes for £12!
This deal is available for:
Keep Dancing Sheldon
Keep Dancing Shirley
Keep Dancing Garretts Green
Keep Dancing Aldridge
Keep Dancing Harborne
Keep Dancing Marston Green
Keep Dancing Bentley Heath
Keep Dancing Quinton
Keep Dancing Greatest Hits

For NEW participants attending Xpress-Yourself Dance we have a special offer of block booking your first 6 classes for just £12. (Classes are usually £5.50 per class.) This is a special offer and can only be applied as a block booking. New participants should send the 6 dates of the classes via email to admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk after booking. Transfers of dates will not be offered and no refunds given.

Please note the NEW DANCER promotion is explicitly for dancers who are new to Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC. Please do not use this promotion if you already attended Keep Dancing classes at another venue.

To book onto a new dancer discount for a class near you, follow this link: Dance classes

Dancing for Carers in 2026

Here at Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC we support carers. If you feel like you need additional support or advice we can make a referral to Birmingham Carers Hub. Please do just get in touch with us, we are happy to help.

In addition to our carer classes on offer, we are also happy to provide resources to help support carers and hopefully make their responsibilities a little easier – we are more than happy to help!
We have compiled all our resources into one handy blog post for you! There is information about support, activities for carers and information about Carers IF card. Click here to access the blog!
Don’t forget we have a FREE pre-recorded downloadable class for carers. A monthly half-hour session for those unable to join us for our online or in-person carer classes, but don’t want to miss out on the dancing. After booking the class, you will receive a link via email to download the video. The link will expire within 7 days. 

Dance Events in 2026

To boost your social wellbeing, Xpress-Yourself dance are hosting monthly dance events…

• Together in Time Tea Dances

Together in Time Tea Dances are an amazing ‘dementia friendly’ afternoon filled with dancing, laughing and chatting as well as some glorious cream tea!

These events are free thanks to our generous funders from Birmingham City Council and Edgbaston NNS.

The Together in Time tea dance is an opportunity for people from all walks of life to connect and share their passion for dancing with one another.  This inclusive event welcomes people living with dementia, their carers, family, and friends to enjoy gentle dancing, live music, and a delicious afternoon tea in a relaxed and supportive setting.

Our next Together in Time Tea Dance is Monday 26th January 2026 to book your space please click the link here Together in Time – Dementia Friendly Tea Dance – 26/1/2026 – Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC

• Daylight Discos

Our Daylight Discos are a wonderful afternoon filled with dancing, community, and fun.

Here’s what some of our amazing dancers had to say about the event:

 The next Daylight Disco will take place on Friday, 30th January 2026 and bookings will open on 30th December 2025.

📅 Our Next Event Date: Friday 30th January 2026
⏰ Time: 2:00 – 4:30 pm
📍 Venue: St Giles Church, 149 Church Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3TT

Thanks to generous funding from Yardley NNS, this event is FREE to attend so grab your friends, family and neighbours and boogie on down!. 🥳
☕ Refreshments will be provided, and please note this is a sober event.

To book your space click this link here Daylight Discos – Friday 30th January 2026 14:00-16:30 – Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC

To find out more about Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC follow us on Facebook.    

We look forward to welcoming some new faces at our classes in 2026! 

Keep Dancing 💃