Seniors hit the floor to stay fit

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April 28, 2009

This is National Dance Week, and area residents are shaking a leg, going en pointe, or getting into the groove.

By TRAVINA COLEMAN The Tahlequah Daily Press Tue Apr 28, 2009, 09:24 AM CDT

You won’t find wheelchairs or walkers at the Tahlequah Senior Citizens Center on Friday nights. Or at least, if the equipment is on site, it’s not being used much.

The folks who show up don’t need them.

Rose Marie Friend and her husband, Guy, don’t miss the opportunity to kick up their heels.

“They have a real good band,” she said. “They play what we want to hear. We always have a really nice time.”

Dancing can be magical and transforming. It can breathe new life into a tired soul, make a spirit soar, unleash locked-away creativity. It can unite generations and cultures, and inspire new romances or rekindle old ones. And it can trigger long-forgotten memories or turn sadness into joy, if only during the dance itself.

National Dance Week ise a good time to celebrate, but for those who love to dance, it’s an every-day affair.

On a more physical level, dancing can offer a great mind-body workout. Researchers are learning that regular physical activity in general can help keep our bodies – including our brains – healthy as we age.

Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. And dancing that requires people to remember specific steps and sequences boosts brain power by improving memory skills, according to the AARP website.

Dorothy Crawford, volunteer at the senior center, said putting on the dances are hard work. But it’s worth the effort.

“We have people coming from Stilwell, Westville, and as far as Henryetta, just to come and dance,” Crawford said. “Of course, they visit, too. Sometimes they get here before the dances start.”

Jim Forst, member of Hole in the Wall Band, the musical act that plays at the center Friday nights, said the crowd is lively and fun.

“The band has been doing the dances for about 10 years now,” he said. “Everybody’s happy; it’s just like a big family.”

These dances are not just for the more mature crowd. Anyone can come and have a good time. In fact, that’s exactly what the band likes to see.

“We love to see the younger folks who come to hear the music and learn the dances of our Oklahoma seniors,” said Carl Farinelli, member of the band.

“Often visiting are a group of students from NSU and several area singles groups who tell me they want to learn the historic dances like ‘Put your little foot,’ the ‘Schottische,’ and the old Cherokee County form of square dancing.”

Crawford said it’s good for people to stay active, regardless of age.

“They [seniors] love the dances,” she said. “It’s something they look forward to. It keeps them active.”

And keeping active is important as the body gets older.

“We have some people in wheelchairs,” she said. “Their family members will [take them out of the wheelchairs] and twirl them all over the room. They enjoy it.”

Forst said sometimes the crowd can get a little rowdy.

“If we play too many slow songs, they may come up and gripe at us,” Forst said. “These people really keep moving.”

He said the dance at the Senior Citizens Center is perfect for anybody who wants to come out and have fun.

“It’s the perfect place to go if you like to dance,” Forst said. “There is no smoking, so you don’t have to worry about breathing it in. Not only that, there aren’t any kind of drunken brawls. It’s just a good clean place to dance and enjoy a potluck dinner at the break.”

What’s next

The second part in the series will focus on dance as art, featuring ballet and other classical forms.

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