Most of the approximately 500 students at the Medina Centre for Dance Art are youth or young adult dancers. But the owner saw an opportunity to serve older adults.
鈥淲e had a grandma here that was bringing her granddaughter to class at night, and she said, 鈥榊ou need a class for grandmas,鈥欌�� said Kelly Parks, owner and CEO of Medina Centre for Dance Art. 鈥淚 said, 鈥極kay, give me some time. I'll figure it out.鈥� And we did.鈥濃��
Tap and ballet classes for adults 55 and over are held once a week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Parks said she gets a lot of interest around the classes, but people also often feel nervous about what鈥檚 expected or worried the physical aspects of dancing will be too difficult for them.
鈥淲e encourage them to come and try it, that it鈥檚 going to be fun 鈥� they鈥檒l make great friends and they鈥檒l learn things,鈥� Parks said. 鈥淥nce they鈥檙e hooked, they stay around with
耻蝉.鈥�
The Medina Centre for Dance Art will expand this summer to a new facility just down the road from its current building near Medina Public Square. Parks said she hopes to expand programming for seniors once classes move to the larger space.
Benefits for senior dancers
Instructor Connie Laettner teaches both senior tap and ballet and works to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for all the students.
鈥淚f you have a bum knee, if you have an injury, please tell me so this way I鈥檓 not trying to correct something that is injured or recovering,鈥� Laettner said.
During classes, she explains the benefits of each movement and exercise.
鈥淚 love it when they come in and say, 鈥極h my gosh, I noticed I can reach stuff on the floor easier, I notice that I鈥檓 switching my weight from side to side easier,鈥欌�� Laettner said. 鈥淭hey notice the flexibility. They notice their balance is better.鈥�
Flexibility was a concern for 66-year-old Kathleen Tompkins of Medina, a participant of the ballet class for more than two years. She said she has osteoporosis and has suffered from a broken hip.
鈥淭he movements are fluid, not where I have to worry that I鈥檓 going to hurt myself,鈥� Tompkins said. 鈥淚 love it. I feel like it鈥檚 been transformative for me.鈥�
Laettner said dance is a workout for both the body and the mind, and some students said they see improvements in their memory and mental agility.
鈥淲e talk a lot about if you鈥檙e practicing, you have to practice three times correctly,鈥� Laettner said. 鈥淚f you get it wrong once, you have to go back and do it three times correctly for your memory.鈥�
Guide: Aging with art: Get involved around Northeast Ohio
鈥楴o judgment鈥�
Strongsville resident Toni Seng took ballet as a young adult and loved it. She鈥檚 69 now and wanted to get back into dancing, so she started looking for adult classes in the area.
鈥淲hen I looked for ballet classes, usually anyone over high school is in it, so a lot of 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds,鈥� Seng said.
Her search eventually led her to Medina.
鈥淚鈥檓 just very thankful that someone thought of having ballet class for seniors,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e can all relate to one another, and we鈥檙e all just kind of doing what we can, no judgment.鈥�
Seng signed up for the class along with her friend, Adele Fernandez of Strongsville, who also participated in various forms of dance earlier in life. Fernandez said she appreciates the range of benefits she gets from the class and recognizes that at this point in life, it鈥檚 not about striving for perfection.
鈥淚t鈥檚 for your own self-enrichment,鈥� Fernandez said. 鈥淚 would encourage people to just let loose of any preconceived ideas because there鈥檚 no wrong or right way to do it. You just come and participate and enjoy it.鈥�
