I bet most of you have seen those announcements on the internet about certain days of the year being “National ___ Day.” I personally have seen holidays like “National Ice-Cream Day,” “National Pizza Day,” and even “National Weather Person’s Day” float its way around the internet. Out of these national holidays I have seen, my favorite has to be “National Dance Day.”

These national holidays are probably extremely annoying to any of you all who happen to be active members of social media. I can’t count how many pictures I have seen of people posing with their perfect cones of ice-cream and slices of pizza once a year on their respective “days;” I saw hundreds of pictures ice-cream this month on my Instagram feed with the same “#nationalicecreamday” written underneath it. “National Dance Day” is the same way, and hundreds of dancers take to their social media accounts to post their best action pictures of themselves or pictures of their favorite pair of shoes for all their followers to see. However, “National Dance Day” is more than just an excuse for dancers everywhere to post pictures of their best leg extensions on social media accounts.

Founded by the Dizzy Feet Foundation in 2010 , National Dance Day is an “annual celebration dedicated to dance, that encourages Americans of all ages to incorporate dance into their lives.” The foundation wants to educate the public about dance and its benefits while enabling the world to find joy through dance and movement. The Dizzy Feet Foundation provides free events in select cities for anyone to come visit and get their groove on, and they also feature some video dance classes on their website for anyone to try out.

You may be wondering why you should still celebrate this holiday. I mean, not everyone is not one of those crazy-talented dancers that are seen on television, right?

National Dance Day is a celebration not just for seasoned dancers, but for everyone in the nation who has found any joy in dance in the littlest of ways, such as boogying around their living room while cleaning or by having dance parties with their closest friends.

Dancing is a natural way for anyone to feel happy. Not only is it a fun workout, but it helps people release all the energy and stressed that is cooped up inside of them on a day to day basis. Personally, whenever I feel stressed about school work or antsy from sitting too long, I get up and dance. If I get writer's block while writing that 10-page paper, I get up and groove to some Bruno Mars to get the juices flowing. If I am angry with a friend for something quite trivial, I’ll do a little tap dance. When my friends are sad about a break-up, as silly as it sounds, I make them have a dance party with me.

Even if I am dancing around in my bedroom to one random song, I always feel more relaxed and happy afterward. If you don’t believe me, try dancing around to whatever song comes on the radio next time you feel an ounce of stress; you will instantly feel a little bit more relaxed after. It may not permanently cure your negative emotions, but it will keep you going.

Dance is also a way to build confidence. I would’ve never had the courage to do some of the things I do today if I didn’t start performing on stage at such a young age. Since I was in Kindergarten, I have learned that I should never hold myself back on and off the stage, because that is how you better yourself. Dance taught me that you shouldn’t care what other people think of you because you are who you are and you are doing what you love. Next time your favorite song comes on at a party, you better dance full-out; no one is going to care what you look like just if you are having fun.

Dancing is never fun if you can’t give it 100% to what you do, and the same goes for everything else in life. Would you rather keep yourself contained and make the smallest of movements while you dance, or let it all out and feel as free as a bird? Trust me when I say this, but it is much more fun to “Whip and Nae Nae” with all the energy you have in your body than to keep it small for no one to see because you are scared of what others think.

Dance keeps people grounded as well. You can never be the best at dance because there is no set rule as to what is “the best.” Dance is an art form with so many different variations and styles, so really anyone who dances is “the best” because they are dancing in the style that they created. Everyone is at the same level. If you see someone else who you think is better than you, that means that you need to work even harder at what you do to achieve these things. Dance teaches you discipline, endurance, strength, and a whole host of other important life skills that are so important to keep the world running.

Ballet has taught me the importance of having a good foundation inside of me to succeed in other aspects of life. Tap has taught me the importance of keeping in rhythm with the world around me, but to also branch out and walk to the beat of my own drum. Jazz has taught me that it is OK to let loose and have fun, and Contemporary has taught me that is OK to show the world the emotions inside of you. Even just breaking out a good freestyle has taught me how to think outside of the box and try new things while not caring how silly I may look.

Whether you're dancing on a big stage with a huge audience or dancing around in your house with no one watching, the art of dance still improves your health and teaches you important life lessons without you really knowing it.

That being said, on July 29^th, I will be rejoicing in an important holiday of an art form that really has changed me and the world for the better. Will you be celebrating with me?