The joys of dancing take many forms
People attend the dances at the Regina Senior Citizens Centre (RSCC) on Winnipeg Street in Regina for a variety of reasons. Some come to socialize and meet friends; others appreciate the fact that there’s live music; still others see it as a good form of exercise. But one 97-yearold man — who still does a great polka — says he comes to the dances because he, “just likes hugging the good-looking girls.”
While hugging is a perk of dancing, exercise and socialization seem to be the key motivating factors. “For people with physical ailments who would not necessarily be able to do an exercise program, this is their form of exercise,” says Cathy Theriault, executive director of the Regina Senior Citizens Centre. “Inclusion is a very big thing with the older seniors within our communities, and this is a way for them to get out and socialize for a few hours, a few times a week.”
She says that the dances are especially beneficial for those who don’t have a partner, because even those who come with a spouse or special friend dance with those who do not. “We have a lot of single women that come, but they get up and dance with each other. We have a great group of men that come with, say, their spouses, but they will also get up and ask the other women to dance. And there’s quite a few single men, and they all take turns dancing with everybody, so it’s a very, very social atmosphere.”
People in wheelchairs who come to enjoy the music are also able to participate when various partners step in to keep them in motion around the dance floor.
Regardless of their motivations, they all come to dance, and up to 80 people do so twice a week, every week. “The first string of music – they are on the dance floor,” says Theriault. “These people come to dance, so they are on the floor the minute the music starts until it’s over.”
Open to all ages, the dances are held on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and feature old-time music played by a variety of local bands. A 15-minute break at 2 p.m. allows participants to catch their breaths, have some refreshments and socialize. Coffee and cookies are offered for sale, but sometimes someone will choose to treat all those present.
“If someone has a birthday, they might bring in cake for everybody and pay for the coffee,” says Theriault. “They spend so much time here, and they have over the years, that they want to share their birthday with their friends. Last Friday, we had a birthday party for one of our long-time members that comes faithfully twice a week, and he was 97.”
Admission to the dances is just $4 for those with a Regina Senior Citizens Centre membership and $5 for non-members. Coffee is just 75 cents. Recently, the centre added Sunday dances to its lineup. Admission for the Sunday dances is $8 per person, with coffee and cookies served during the break.
Annual memberships, which are available to those 55 and over, are $25 if purchased before Nov. 30 and $30 if purchases after that. Members pay reduced rates on the centre’s facility rentals and programs, which include computer classes, ceramics, card games and tournaments, snooker and eightball, painting, sewing and quilting, and various exercise activities. Nonmembers and those under 55 are welcome to participate in programs and activities by paying the applicable non-member fees.
In addition to the location 2134 Winnipeg St., RSCC also includes a location at 2404 Elphinstone St., where many similar programs are available.