ClancyWorks Dance Company:
SOARing High
You're never too old to dance.
Okay, so The SOAR (Seniors Organized in the Arts to Rejuvenate) program at ClancyWorks Dance Company might not be a training ground for an NBA hip hop dance team, but it provides a physical and mental workout for seniors aged 55 to 98. Which is pretty badass in its own right.
"It’s an opportunity for (seniors) to get together and open up different parts of their lives," said Erin Tunbridge, program coordinator at ClancyWorks. "Rather than just meeting each other and talking about the weather, we’re initiating different conversations."
The classes include both seated and standing work for a variety of agility levels. Much of the focus, Erin said, is on using dance to exercise the memory as well as the body. Students might be asked to choose a word to complete a sentence, and offer a movement to go along with the word. They're tasked to remember each movement, then to put them all together. Et voila, a dance!
Now, doesn't that sound more fun than flashcards?