International dance day 2023: Senior girls from Kochi are falling in love with dance once more

“It was forward of its time then,” she says. In 1998 she had informally began instructing dance to seniors however discovered few takers. Post the pandemic Geetha is relaunching the courses in May, completely for girls above 50 and has already obtained invites from two residence complexes to carry periods. She plans to carry courses at flats throughout the town, if there’s a group of 10 or extra senior dancers. She teaches at her area, Veranda, in Kottayam as effectively.

Chandrika Menon, 72, is among the senior dancers at KAPZ Dance Sessions, a dance platform began by choreographer Kalpana Susheelan, in Thevara , Kochi. Chandrika joined final 12 months when the varsity was based. “I even dance to nattu nattu,” she says with amusing, including “Dance improves your reminiscence, coordination, vitality, grace and energy, step-by-step.”

At 78, Geeta Karot, is the senior-most within the group. She loves western dance and learnt tips on how to dance jazz and salsa, in addition to stomach dance, in numerous cities in Europe, the place she resided due to her husband’s job. She joined the courses three months in the past. “I occurred to listen to a favorite music of mine whereas strolling previous the dancers and needed to hitch. They welcomed me,” says Geeta, including that she loves shifting to music.

Kalpana’s senior college students, a gaggle known as, Lady Bugs, are all above the age of 60. Dance has helped alleviate a few of their well being issues, she says. She provides an instance of a girl going through “reminiscence points”, which improved drastically with dance. “You have to recollect the dance steps, and that regenerated her reminiscence energy,” she says.

Salsa Shines

Her courses for seniors start with Latin strikes , adopted by Salsa shines, during which companions transfer other than one another to point out off a wide range of nimble foot actions.

One of Kochi’s most senior Indian classical dancers, Shyamala Surendran broke the glass ceiling in 1982 when she started studying dance as a 34-year-old. “That itself is taken into account late,” she says including that it was her ardour that she pursued, and later arrange Dharani college of Performing Arts in the 90s.

At the beginning of 2023, three 50-year-olds have enrolled in her college, to study classical dance. According to her dance “is sort of a whirlpool” and attracts one into its world of self discovery and realization. “Its ultimate consequence is pure happiness,” she says.

On the challenges of instructing dance to seniors as in comparison with kids, Shyamala says it is just pure dance —actions — that the youngsters can grasp, however to carry out satwika abhinaya (communication of internal feelings) one must be mature to know it.” 

Shyamala says that in lots of situations she finds kids sending their moms to bounce as they discover a change for the higher of their moms’ way of thinking. Vyshnavie Sainath who arrange Vyshnavie Dance Centre in Secundrabad, in 2012 agrees. “Grandmothers are becoming a member of the category, a mother-daughter duo are having fun with the artwork and discovering a new-found closeness of their relationship,” she says.

Online courses

Vyshnavie notices a particular spike within the variety of girls within the age group 40 to 60 take to bounce. “It is nice to see that girls are lastly dropping their inhibitions,” she says, including that on-line courses, “gave them the arrogance to bounce.”

Sheeba Joseph, 57, who joined Dharani School of Dance this 12 months after retiring as a trainer from St Augustine Higher Secondary School in Aroor, says that her household is supportive of her resolution, although her neighbours could disapprove. She finds dancing a great way to handle weight. “To me my 75-year-old trainer Shyamala is an inspiration,” she provides.

Chennai-based doyen of classical dance VP Dhanajayan and his spouse, Shanta, who proceed to carry out of their 80s say that seniors dance for 2 causes – one to meet a childhood ardour and to expertise the bodily, psychological and non secular advantages. Dhanajayan provides that there it’s one other benefit: “these seniors largely comprise the viewers at dance performances and can now know the nuances of dance. That’s what a performer needs for.”