Dance and my youth have quite a history of being together. Hawaiian dance lessons and jazz dance lessons akin to moves made popular by the iconic Aldeguer sisters formed part of my weekend activities plus organ playing. Every time the school asks us to choose the club we would like to join, there was no question because Dance Club it is for me.
Dance Takes a Backseat
And of course when life happened with motherhood and career, dance took a backseat. Looking at me seriously carrying out job responsibilities, people find it hard to believe that once upon a time, I was a girl dancing to my heart's content. I had the full support of my parents. While my mother made sure I attended my lessons, my father was the one patiently bringing me back and forth to dance practices.
Before I realized it, age crept in. Bones and joints started to make their presence felt with pain and creaking. Weight steadily increased, making some movements literally a challenge. My last medical check-up did not present any emergency issues. However, all my doctors advised the same thing: Take up a physical activity which you enjoy so it will not be burdensome to do. And so I remembered dancing and the joy of doing it...
Dance Remembered
Dance Remembered
It was during these moments of reminiscing when a close friend from college suddenly invited me to go dancing. She said she knew of a place named Savannah Moon Club and Restaurant in Quezon City which offers regular dance sessions for all ages but is especially senior-friendly. That definitely piqued my curiosity. As many seniors can attest to, a place where one can simply enjoy and not be judged is much welcome.
I have to admit that judgment from other people is one of the sore points of joining any group. It is such a burden joining a group where one is supposed to have fun and end up having to worry on how well you dance or dress. There are still adult ladies who seem to have not let go of their mean girl days, focusing on comparison or being the better one too much for their own good. But I digress...
Dance Restarted
So armed with the desire to meet up with my college friends and experience the joy of dancing once again, I agreed to the invitation. Internally, I was trying to find a back-out plan but my grown-up children prevailed on me to go, saying I should take time to enjoy life as an individual. I bravely drove my way from my residence outside Metro Manila to this very challenging traffic route to Libis, Quezon City. After going through traffic and some missed turns in spite of Waze, I finally found myself in the company of my friends.
We danced, laughed, drank, and ate as we set aside our worries for the next three hours. Other groups minded their own business, like we did. Even with the sweat and the pain of awakening joints from inaction, the experience was liberating and exhilarating. We promised to do this again very soon.
I have to admit that judgment from other people is one of the sore points of joining any group. It is such a burden joining a group where one is supposed to have fun and end up having to worry on how well you dance or dress. There are still adult ladies who seem to have not let go of their mean girl days, focusing on comparison or being the better one too much for their own good. But I digress...
Dance Restarted
So armed with the desire to meet up with my college friends and experience the joy of dancing once again, I agreed to the invitation. Internally, I was trying to find a back-out plan but my grown-up children prevailed on me to go, saying I should take time to enjoy life as an individual. I bravely drove my way from my residence outside Metro Manila to this very challenging traffic route to Libis, Quezon City. After going through traffic and some missed turns in spite of Waze, I finally found myself in the company of my friends.
We danced, laughed, drank, and ate as we set aside our worries for the next three hours. Other groups minded their own business, like we did. Even with the sweat and the pain of awakening joints from inaction, the experience was liberating and exhilarating. We promised to do this again very soon.
My Say
This simple experience with my school friends made me realize that this is definitely not the last dance for seniors. While the young often resort to dance to socialize and have fun, dance can be a lifeline to health and connectivity for seniors.
That said, this only happens with effort and initiative from senior citizens. It starts with saying yes to start and repeated yeses to follow-up opportunities to participate and connect.
