How can dancing keep my mind sharp?

Dancing is a brain-power activity. Learning new moves activates the brain’s motor centers that form new neural connections. Dancing also calms the brain's stress response.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a 21 year study on senior citizens that showed that frequent dancing helped with protecting against dementia.  But the key is that you engage in dance frequently.  Dancing that involves making many quick decisions challenges the mind can lead to an increase in mental acuity.  Engaging in activity that requires making many split-second decisions involves the use of various brain functions all at once.