Oxford community gets a spring in its step

Oxford people who have reached their fifties and lack a certain spring in their step can now remedy this by joining a weekly dancing class programme. The Cutteslowe Community Centre has recently launched a dancing programme aimed at helping older people get both exercise and meet new friends.

The classes will begin by giving participants the opportunity to try different styles such as salsa, jive, line dancing, rock and roll, and many others. The plan is to see which are most popular, and to continue with these.

Yadz Strand, a 52-year-old carer from Headington, was one of the first to try the classes. Her assessment was that it was “great fun,” according to an Oxford Mail report.

She said “I have never danced in a class before and this was my first time learning the moves… I like the Latin dances, so the salsa will be fun next week.”

The sessions last for an hour per week, and a trained teacher leads the classes. The sessions are suitable to all levels of ability and fitness.

The popularity of the classes can be attributed to the fact that they are active, fun, and social, and also that the idea came from the community itself. The sessions are partly funded by the charity Age UK, as part of its mission to provide the opportunity for a high quality of life for older people.

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