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It’s no surprise that dancing makes you feel good - it has been an important part of human culture in history.

There’s plenty of evidence it is great for physical health and now there are studies that show that it can make you smarter as well.

A 21-year study of people 75 and older monitored rates of dementia by tracking mental acuity, and what cognitive and physical activities had an effect. The results of the study, led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

They studied cognitive activities such as reading books, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and playing musical instruments. Physical activities included tennis, golf, swimming, cycling, dancing, walking for exercise and doing housework.

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Surprisingly, most of the physical activities did not appear to influence the onset of dementia. Except one: frequent dancing.

One explanation is that dancing involves learning, which creates new connections in the brain. The brain is always reinventing itself and if it doesn’t need the parts that assist with learning, those bits weaken.

It is thought that the fast decision making involved in certain types of dancing, plus other brain functions such as music and emotions, contributes to building brain power.