All they can do is dance, dance

Saturday, May 19, 2007 | 6:50 a.m.

As he hops from foot to foot ever more quickly, 13-year-old John Mackin's cheeks turn ruddy and his glasses slip slightly down his nose. But his gaze never leaves the video screen in front of him.

Arrows zip up the screen, indicating where he should next jump - quick! - on a miniature stage. The eighth grader is dancing to a club-mix version of Vinyl Baby's "Lovin' You" that is pulsing from the speakers.

A gaggle of sixth grade girls behind him watch with interest that swells into outright admiration for how quickly he keeps up with the dance moves. "Oh my God," one them says, while another calls out, "Wow." The group bursts into applause at song's end and Mackin steps off the metal platform that's been recording his footwork.

This could be a scene from any video arcade around town. But it's not.

"You are seeing the master," Esther Anderson, physical education teacher at Silverstri Middle School, tells her students. "Watch and learn."

Interactive video games such as Konami's "Dance Dance Revolution" are being used by a handful of Clark County schools to promote exercise. Districts in other states, such as California, New York and West Virginia, have also discovered such games are a clever way to get schoolchildren to exercise.

Think of it as Arthur Murray for the millennial generation. Instead of following footsteps painted on the floor, students stand on a metal platform or plastic mat. By correctly following the sequence of arrows on the video screen, they score points and move up the ladder in difficulty. The full-size arcade model, first made popular in Japan nearly a decade ago, can run thousands of dollars. Scaled-down versions for home video-game consoles retail from $60 to $250.

And the game is more than good fun. Recent studies suggest there may be real health benefits for students who play. Last year the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., provided clinical proof of what might seem obvious: Students burned more calories playing "Dance Dance Revolution" than they did with regular video games or watching television.

The dance game is being tapped for its health benefits outside of schools, too.

At the Children's Heart Center of Las Vegas, registered dietician Anissa Gustafson designs nutrition programs for patients and is director of the Risk Factor Reduction Program. Nearly 150 children are enrolled in the center's weekly program, which focuses on exercise, nutrition and behavior modification, and the list of available activities includes "Dance Dance Revolution," the most popular of such video games.

Since joining the center six years ago, Gustafson has seen a fourfold increase in the number of young patients with heart issues related to obesity.

"It's difficult to get kids to be active," Gustafson said. "If they don't enjoy it, they won't do it."

Summertime in Las Vegas is a particular challenge for children and their parents, as soaring temperatures discourage outdoor play. Active video games can be a useful substitute, Gustafson said. But even the most challenging sequence on "Dance Dance Revolution" can't replace good nutrition and a consistent approach to overall health, she said.

Anderson agrees, and that's why "Dance Dance Revolution" takes up just one corner of the school's new fitness center, which was the first of its kind in the Clark County School District. Eleven middle schools have since followed Anderson's lead.

The goal is to help students lay the foundation for a healthy, active future.

Thanks to community donations, the fitness room is equipped with treadmills, stationary bikes, mats and weights. A computer station allows students to log their daily food intake and evaluate the nutritional quality of their choices.

But when it's time for class, there's typically a stampede for the video games.

"That's definitely the favorite," said Anderson, who's taught PE in Clark County for 17 years.

Cannon Junior High School began using the dance program last spring, PE teacher Lexa Jones said. Before adding it to the instructional program, teachers first stayed after school to learn how it worked - and make sure they wouldn't embarrass themselves in front of students. Some of the students volunteered to stay after school "to help us old folks," Jones said. "That's when we realized how effective the game would be at our school."

Mackin's father, retired New York City police officer John Mackin, was good-natured about his son's devotion to "Dance Dance Revolution."

"It drives me nuts. I can't watch TV because he's bouncing over my head," Mackin said with a laugh. "But if it keeps him fit, what are you going to do?"

Mackin, who coached his son's flag-football team, has noticed something else to which he credits the video game.

"He runs better patterns, he's catching more balls," Mackin said. "That's all coordination."

When asked what's good about the video game, the younger Mackin quickly runs down a list of health benefits, including a stronger heart and reduced chance of developing diabetes or becoming obese. Those things can kill you, he says.

For now, he's keeping his smooth moves confined to the virtual dance floor.

"I really can't dance other than this," he says. "It's as close as I'll get."