Learn “Naluwan Palafang” with Sam Chiang on Nov 7

Surrey International Folk Dancers is pleased to welcome folk dance instructor Sam Wu-Shan Chiang for a special workshop on November 7. Sam will be teaching “Naluwan Palafang” (Welcome Honored Guests), a dance he choreographed based on the traditional steps of Taiwan’s indigenous Amis people.

About the Dance

“Naluwan Palafang” was created by Sam in September 2020, incorporating both basic Amis tribal steps and common movements from various Taiwanese indigenous tribes. The title combines two Amis words: “Naluwan” (meaning “greetings” or “welcome”) and “Palafang” (meaning “honored guests”). See description here.

About the Instructor

Sam Chiang […]

Surrey Folk Dancers Celebrate the Old and the New at October Retreat

By Marie Bremner in February 2023 on Arts Council of Surrey‘s Spotlight Magazine

See complete article here.

See it in the Spotlight Magazine here.

Excerpt: It was an evening of magic, with music and dance transporting Surrey Folk Dancers and visitors to a European village square. After a day of workshops at Camp Alexandra in Crescent Beach, Retreat 2022 participants welcomed the folk bands Balkanski Melos and Savoir Faire, to return to the roots of folk dance with a partnership of musicians […]

Do humans dance just for fun, or did it help our ancestors survive thousands of years ago?

By Thea Singer on July 1, 2017 on Scientific American

See complete article here.

Excerpt: Why should dancing be such a common human trait, and why are we so good at it? In recent years scientists have begun to identify features of the brain and body that underpin our exceptional ability. Some of these features are linked to language and upright locomotion, two traits that have contributed significantly to the success of the human lineage. Perhaps, then, dance is a happy […]

Dancing, rowing and even finger tapping in unison unleash powerful forces in the brain that drive good feelings

By Marta Zaraska on Scientific American

See complete article here published October 2020

Excerpt: Many group activities boost our sense of belonging, but research shows that doing things synchronously can build even stronger social ties and create a greater sense of well-being. Crew rowing, line dancing, choir singing or simply tapping fingers in sync increases generosity, trust and tolerance toward others, often beyond effects seen in more disorderly doings. It can even increase people’s […]

by Diane Domina Senior Content Production Editor

Published December 19, 2018

OLDER WOMEN WHO dance have a lower risk of developing disabilities that impact daily activities like walking, bathing, dressing, eating, and going to the bathroom, according to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

This study was led by researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology in Japan and involved 1,003 women living at home who did not have any disabilities at the start of the study. They were interviewed about their participation in 16 types of exercise.

During an eight-year follow-up period, 130 participants developed a disability, defined as dependence […]

Older adults who engaged in ballroom dancing, folk dancing and other dance styles were less likely to fall than those who walked or did other exercises.

By Nicholas Bakalar
Published Oct. 14, 2020
Updated Oct. 20, 2020

Dancing may help prevent falls in the elderly, a review of studies suggests. And the more older people danced, the better.

Researchers combined data from 29 controlled trials in healthy people over 65 of “dance-based mind-motor activities” involving coordinated upright movements, structured through music or rhythm, with distinctive choreography and interactions with other people — in other words, dancing. The studies […]