More than two dozen older people are set to take part in a two-week dance and music project at the National Concert Hall, writes Genevieve Carbery
CLAPPING HANDS, stamping feet and slapping knees to music while sitting in a chair may not meet the usual vision of a fitness class, but is one aspect of an innovative dance project for over-50s which culminates in a performance at the National Concert hall on May 23rd and 24th.
Too Young to be Oldis a project of dance and music classes for the over-50s, run by dance company CoisCéim's Broadreach project and the National Concert Hall. More than two dozen older people will take part in a two-week dance and music project, culminating in the concert. However, more casual daily dance classes will also be available. The events are part of Bealtaine, an arts festival celebrating creativity in older age.
Ongoing "taster workshops" are being held around Dublin this month for those who want to try it out before committing to a two-week project. These include open workshops for anyone over 50, workshops within day centres and training for carers of older people. The project is sponsored by the HSE and Dublin City Council.
"I run a regular class and became aware of a lot of demand for this kind of class for older people," CoisCéim Broadreach director and choreographer Philippa Donnellan, explains. "A lot of older people have done ballroom dancing, line dancing or fitness classes before and may not know what contemporary dance is like," she says.
"Dancing is a great activity for older people. It helps fitness and it helps the blood flow too," says Dolores Lynch, a retired woman attending a dance and music workshop in Glasnevin, Dublin.
"Everyone of that era loved ballroom dancing and the rhythm. We were all great dancers," she says, recalling her days going to dances and shows at Dublin's Royal Theatre, which closed in the early 1960s.
"We are trying to get people who are not involved in physical activity to try some form of recreation and older adults is one of our target groups," explains Dublin City Council's sports and recreation officer for the North East Inner City, LJ McGinley.
"Exercise helps to make the joints less stiff, it is good for mood and personal wellbeing as well as being good for people's health and hearts," she says.
"As people get older they tend to put on more weight so by doing a bit of physical activity they are preventing the weight going on, it keeps the cholesterol and blood pressure low and has so many benefits," she explains.
The restrictions caused by worn joints and standing bring challenges when it comes to older people exercising, she says but this form of dance is great exercise and she would like to start a chair aerobics programme after this.
"I looked at the general needs of the older people in developing the class, it is neither just social nor just keep fit," Donnellan explains.
"It is very different from teaching a dance class of young people. For example, I do hand exercises with older people and I try to take on board the realities of the situations."
The contemporary dance in the dance and music workshops is accompanied by music using drums, triangles, xylophones, tambourines, to create rhythms. "Once the instruments come out people get very excited - they especially love the chimes and bars," says Emma O'Kane, one of the project's teachers.
"You meet some really special people with very strong personalities and they almost dictate how the workshops go."
"The fitness at the classes is very varied," she explains. "At the closed workshops there tend to be more fragile and feeble elderly.''
CoisCéim is holding workshops at care centres as well as training carers so they can use these skills in the nursing homes.
"I was in Rialto at a daycare centre and had a music and dance workshop with a cellist and harpist which was amazing," she says, adding that a 96-year-old woman at one of the workshops was "inspirational".
"At more open workshops people come of their own will. They are active elderly, so that will change how you gear the workshops," she explains.
The response has been fantastic "but it is like opening a can of worms as there is more and more need for classes on a regular basis," Donnellan says.
• Four options are available for people who want to get involved in Too Young to be Old. Daily dance classes are open to the public at the National Concert Hall on a drop-in basis from May 12th to 16th and May 19th to 24th from 11am -12pm with a suggested donation of €5.
There are taster dance and music workshops in various Dublin locations running until May 8th. A 10-day intensive workshop runs from May 12th to 16th or from May 19th to 24th at a cost of €100.
Free public performances will take place at the National Concert Hall on the afternoons of May 23rd and 24th but reservation is required. For more information see www.coisceim.com.