I was reading an interesting article published in Psychology Today, that was relevant to the way we focus on making life changes as the year ticks over. The article reflected on the real secret to staying young.
How can we grow older without growing old?
The article reflected on the wonder we felt as children while learning new things. Kids have a natural curiosity about everything. When you’re young, every aspect of life seems fresh and new. Even the most mundane things can be mesmerizing.
I recall, as a boy of 11 or 12 with a vision to become a professional photographer, seeing beauty around me in the simplest things. The way a plant threw its shadow on an icy pond could capture my attention. I’d spend an hour getting just the right shot.
In my teen years I would go out into the wilderness by myself, spending days camping in the snow because of the photographic opportunities available in that setting. Today? Blech. Give me a warm hotel room instead of a cold, damp sleeping bag! But it’s not all gone. I’m still curious about things.
The real secret to staying young
I still have a lot of curiosity about life. And its helped me stay young. Cardio specialist Dr. James McKinney at UBC Sports Cardiology told me that my physical age is decades younger than my actual age. I attribute dance and physical activity, of course, but also the mental energy of being curious about lots of things. According to science, that’s a key element to staying young.
Active curiosity is what keeps us young. As the author of the article puts it, “Novelty and curiosity are the food of childhood. We seek out, explore, and immerse ourselves in situations with the potential for new information and/or experiences. This is the key to vitality: It is how we, as older adults, can grow via our own activity rather than submit completely to decline.”
I’m a dance teacher. Every week I get to experience the joy of helping people learn to dance. I can see that same childlike wonder in action as students learn to use their body in new ways. They benefit tremendously from the confidence, postural improvement, and physical energy they gain through the process.
The article claims that “there is evidence that curiosity can play a critical role in maintaining cognitive functioning as well as physical health in older adults. Engagement in creative activities… reduces anxiety and depression levels. Brain scans show that creative work activates the same brain regions as meditation.”
Dance is not only a creative activity, but also a physical one, combining these benefits with the benefit of fitness. Have you ever seen a senior dancer who actually looks their age? They all look younger than their physical years! The secret to staying young as you age is not some external clinical treatment or medication. Dance incorporates curiosity and learning with physicality. Dance is truly the elixir of youth.
The Psychology Today article references the work of researchers Peterson and Seligman, in Character Strengths and Virtues (2004). This paper argues that psychology has focused too much on fixing what is wrong with people and not enough on understanding what helps people thrive. It introduces a scientific framework for identifying and measuring 24 universal character strengths, organized under six core virtues. The authors propose that cultivating these strengths is central to living a fulfilling, meaningful life.
Applying the principles of core virtues and character strengths to dance
Learning dance is not just a physical process. It is a character-building process. Students who consciously develop strengths like curiosity, persistence, self-regulation, and connection learn faster, stay longer, and experience greater fulfillment in themselves. This extends into other areas of life.
How would we apply these characteristics to dancing?
The framework referenced by Peterson and Seligman is especially well-suited to learning a physical skill like dance, because it treats learning not just as acquiring technique, but as cultivating character strengths that make learning deeper, more resilient, and more enjoyable. Below is a practical, dance-specific application of these characteristics:
1. Reframing Dance Learning: From “Steps” to “Strengths”
Traditional dance instruction focuses on what to do (figures, timing, posture). The character-strengths framework focuses on how a student engages with learning. In dance, progress depends as much on mindset, persistence, emotional regulation, and connection as on physical ability. That is exactly what this framework captures, and why it sets a foundation as the secret to staying young.
2. How Each Core Virtue Supports Learning Dance
Wisdom: Learning How to Learn
Key strengths: Curiosity, love of learning, open-mindedness, perspective
Application in dance:
Learning to explore physical movement (“What happens if you soften the knee here?”)
Normalize experimentation and mistakes as information
Learning to see long-term progress instead of obsessing over today’s performance
Result: Students become adaptive learners instead of rigid imitators.
Courage: Showing Up Despite Discomfort
Key strengths: Bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality
Application in dance:
Bravery: Asking questions, dancing with new partners, performing publicly
Persistence: Repeating fundamentals even when improvement feels slow
Integrity: Practicing correctly, not just “getting through” the exercise
Vitality: Moving with energy instead of self-conscious restraint
Result: Sticking with dance even through plateaus or times of self-doubt
Humanity: Learning Is Social
Key strengths: Love, kindness, social intelligence
Application in dance:
Partner awareness and empathy (feeling tone, balance, intention)
Giving and receiving feedback without defensiveness
Creating psychological safety in group classes
Result: Faster learning through trust, connection, and responsiveness.
Justice: The Dance Community as a Learning Social Space
Key strengths: Fairness, leadership, citizenship
Application in dance:
Rotations that ensure equitable learning opportunities
Advanced students modeling patience and encouragement
Teachers fostering shared responsibility for a supportive class culture
Result: Students feel they belong, which increases retention and motivation.
Temperance: Self-Regulation in Skill Development
Key strengths: Prudence, self-regulation, humility, forgiveness
Application in dance:
Managing frustration when progress stalls
Knowing when to push and when to rest
Accepting corrections without ego
Letting go of mistakes mid-dance instead of spiraling
Result: Cleaner execution and reduced burnout or injury.
Transcendence: Why Dance Is Worth Learning
Key strengths: Hope, gratitude, appreciation of beauty, humor, spirituality
Application in dance:
Finding meaning beyond competition or technique
Learning to appreciate your physical abilities
Better posture and control of everyday movement
Improved feeling of self-worth
Appreciating beauty in movement and music
Using humor to release tension
Holding hope during long learning arcs
Result: Dance becomes fulfilling, not just effortful.
3. Why This Matters Especially for Adult Learners
Adult dance students often struggle not with ability, but with:
Fear of looking foolish
Perfectionism
Comparison
Inconsistent motivation
The character-strengths framework:
Normalizes struggle as part of growth
Gives adults language for internal skills, not just physical ones
Validates effort, courage, and persistence—not just outcomes
As you embark on a new year, you may be considering ways to reinforce your own enjoyment of life and appreciate the little details that kids are so good at noticing. Consider making a regular dance program part of your weekly schedule. You’ll find that this application of curiosity and learning does more to keep you youthful than all the external efforts can.
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