Update: Why Untrained Brains Are A Bit Like Puppies (And How Dance Offers Great Brain Training)

— Time for Sharp­Brains’ April e‑newsletter, fea­tur­ing what’s new in brain health and cog­ni­tive per­for­mance. Quite stim­u­lat­ing read­ing :-) New think­ing Why Untrained Brains Are A Bit Like Pup­pies, And How To Put Togeth­er the Build­ing Blocks of a Smarter, Hap­pi­er Mind Mak­ing Stress Work for You, Instead of Against You 5 Facts You Need To Know…

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Dance training: The ultimate way to delay brain decline by combining physical, cognitive, and social engagement

Study: Danc­ing may off­set some effects of aging in the brain (CSU release): “A new study led by a Col­orado State Uni­ver­si­ty researcher shows that kick­ing up your heels can actu­al­ly be good for your nog­gin. The research team demon­strat­ed for the first time that decline in the brain’s “white mat­ter” can be detect­ed over…

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What Everyone Should Know About Stress, Brain Health, and Dance

Every­one expe­ri­ences stress at some point in our lives. It is impor­tant to know that stress can harm the brain, and also that dance can be a great avenue for a per­son resist, reduce, or escape it. Stress can change the phys­i­cal struc­ture and func­tion of the brain, affect­ing wiring and thus per­for­mance of one’s activities. 

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News about Neuroplasticity, Learning, Dance, ADHD, Brain Training, Smell, and more

Time for a new edi­tion of Sharp­Brains’ enewslet­ter, start­ing with this fas­ci­nat­ing arti­cle about What Edu­ca­tors and Par­ents Should Know About Neu­ro­plas­tic­i­ty, Learn­ing and Dance. Enjoy! New brain research: Rais­ing a teen with ADHD adds sig­nif­i­cant stress to parents–especially to moth­ers Smell tests to help detect brain injury and neu­rode­gen­er­a­tive ail­ments Cog­ni­tive deficits con­tin­ue long term…

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What Educators and Parents Should Know About Neuroplasticity, Learning and Dance

Dance. Is it mere­ly art?  Is it just recre­ation?  Think again. Dance is now being stud­ied as a path­way to enhance learn­ing.  And, sci­en­tists say, edu­ca­tors and par­ents should take note of the move­ment. Recent­ly at the annu­al meet­ing of the Soci­ety for Neu­ro­science annu­al meet­ing, more than 6,800 atten­dees paid rapt atten­tion to renowned choreographer…

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Augmenting lifelong performance with deliberate practice

With Will­ing Spir­it, a Reprise for Ailey Dancers (The New York Times): “The voice on the phone belonged to Masazu­mi Chaya, the asso­ciate artis­tic direc­tor of Alvin Ailey Amer­i­can Dance The­ater, and he had a star­tling propo­si­tion. Would she — Eliz­a­beth Rox­­as-Dobr­ish, 55 years old, 

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