Tallgrass Creek retirement community residents who participate in a weekly Dance Fusion class are learning a wide range of dance styles and multi-cultural influences. They are doing this in a setting that allows them to explore their love of dance at their own pace, expanding their individual choreographic creativity in the process.
About eight residents regularly attend the 45-minute class, which is included in the community’s monthly Group Fitness offerings. No dance experience is necessary and everyone is welcome to “drop in,” according to instructor Camin Bell, who has taught dance professionally for more than 30 years.
“All that is required by participants is a willingness to learn and to have fun,” said Bell, a fitness coordinator who started the class about a year ago.
Ballet, modern, country-western, and many ethnic styles of dance are included in the class. “We work on learning dance ‘vocabulary’ and the meaning behind the terminology,” said Bell.
A typical class starts with a warm-up. Then it progresses to movement phrases that travel across the floor. After that, the focus changes to learning or adding to an entire dance that is repeated like a “loop”.
All of these exercises are performed to a variety of music. The class works the brain for memory and recall and it improves balance, stamina, strength, flexibility and musicality.
Reprinted from a press release from Mel Tansill of Erickson Living.
