Restless retirees kick up their heels

This year Marlborough was named the NZ Herald’s Best Places to Retire in New Zealand. And the stats match the noise, as we have one of the fastest growing over 65 population in the country.

But whatever you might want to think about retiring – it ain’t all about kicking your feet up, baking biscuits and gardening. There’s a small group of restless retirees getting together in a dance studio in Blenheim to kick up their heels for fun and exercise.

The class is catching on with four new members joining in the last week since the class got started. Local dance teacher, Rose Platenkamp, who just relocated from The Netherlands said inspiration for starting the class came about from considering her own dancing destiny.

‘‘I was just thinking, because I really like dancing, and I was thinking if I’m 60, I would love to dance, and I would like to do fun choreographies and that’s actually why I started. Real simple.’’ Says Platenkamp, who has been dancing since she was seven and is also a trained drama teacher with a BA in theatre.

‘‘I just made a poster. I put it on Facebook, and I just thought I’ll spread the word, and I’ll see how many people respond. And actually, a lot of people are really enthusiastic about the idea… particularly women ... I haven’t met any guys yet that want to do it, so that would be great.

‘‘But I imagine the guys, they find it a bit scary, and they think: ‘Oh, maybe it’s gonna be really difficult or my body is not fit enough to do it.’ But they don’t realise that everyone is in the same boat, so that doesn’t have to be a reason.’’

Fresh to the new dance class, Angela Enright says that she is excited to be able to have a space to be able to dance without any prejudice.

‘‘I love the idea of dance, but as you get older your body’s not the same shape, and it doesn’t do the same things that it used to, and so we feel a lot more selfconscious because we move in one direction and the roll moves the other way.’’

‘‘So, to have this opportunity to be able to dance, which what we love to do. We still love the idea of movement and dance, ‘cause, you know, we did it when we were young and so why not? It’s a great way of getting fit.’’

And for those who can’t make it to the studio, Platenkamp says she plans to take her unique dance class to rest homes for the less mobile

‘‘If people are living in a rest home and hesitant to being able to come the dance studio, I can also come and visit the people at their place.’’

And she says a minimum of five for rest home bookings with a recreation space big enough to cut a rug will be suitable:

‘‘My goal is that the dancers walk out of the studio, feel energised and happy,’’ says Platenkamp. ‘‘And that they meet some other lovely people that are in the same boat, and that they feel refreshed after this class.’’

Classes are held on Monday morning from 10.00-11.00am at 21 Auckland Street. Platenkamp says everyone is welcome, and they don’t need any experience.

SUPPLIED A new dance class devoted to the over 60s is getting noticed amongst Blenheim’s retirement age community.