Judy Miller and Goody Freed have enjoyed music and dancing for as long as they can remember.
Both widowed and in their early 80s, they met five years ago at a local senior center.
He’s a retired cameraman for CBS television in New York City and she’s a retired homemaker.
TheJohnny Matt Bandplays there each week and the couple loves the group’s music.
It didn’t take much convincing.
Social activities and participation can lead to slower rates of health decline.
Also, dancing benefits cardiovascular health, balance, coordination, flexibility, cognitive skills and memory.
“People can dance forever,” saysEsther Brill, a social dance instructorin Rochester.
Since Wegmans donates the space, the venue is free.
Attendance is free and food and beverages are available for purchase at the cafe.
The store pays the band, the All-Stars, which brings its own audio equipment.
No special supplies are needed.Wegmans employees move the cafe tables to create a dance floor space.
No special shoes or outfits are required.
Advertising happens beforehand, with Freed and Miller contacting the calendar editors at all the local newspapers.
Freed also leaves on the tables a list of all the local dances, their dates and times.
However, the following “recipe” can help individuals, groups and communities get their neighbors dancing.
His community center inherited a 17-piece big band that was started in 1954.
The center doesn’t pay the band but offers it free rehearsal space.
Most of the Rochester dances charge low fees for participants.
Sometimes a dance can be just a dance.
Sometimes the event can have a theme or be for a cause.
To engage more people, instructor Brill suggests holding a beginner mini-lesson at the start of an event.
“So many people are afraid to dance,” she explains.
“There’s an emotional barrier.
You only have one chance to make a newcomer feel comfortable and confident.”
He prefers telling the really talented ballroom dancers about upcoming dances and then promoting their presence at events.
“It’s all about constant networking,” he says.
At every dance event local organizers leave information about other dances.
It lists all the local dances, their dates and venues.
Another big push for the local dance scene was a 2015 feature in the Rochester edition of55 Plus.
It’s also important to get dances listed in online calendars and in regional and daily newspapers.
The best way to get new people dancing is to encourage the general dance community to go dancing.
“Dancing is addictive and dancers love to dance,” says Brill.
“They’ll promote what they do by just getting out there.”
