The activity center at the Havenwood retirement home is usually abuzz with giggles on Thursday mornings.
On one recent day, about two dozen seniors in loose-fitting clothing and tightly-laced sneakers fluttered about the room. They asked about each other's families, commented on the weather and talked about the news of the day.
The chatting stopped when dance instructor Irene Harris commanded them to their places. They promptly filed into four straight lines and waited for the music to begin.
“All right chickies, I expect a lot of butt shaking!” Harris told them in a thick New York accent. “Make me proud!”
Harris's line dancing class has been offered at Havenwood for about three years, and it's wildly popular among residents and outsiders looking to shake a leg. Each week, the dancers swing to a mix of old-time favorites and contemporary beats – everything from J. D. Souther to Christina Aguilera.
During the routines, Harris alternated between calling out dance moves (“Step forward! Rumba back! Now step kick!”) and praises (“Shake it! Ohhh Carol, I don't have to tell you twice. . . . God we look good!”). The women said they loved Harris's classes because she knows how to make them laugh.
If achy knees or fatigue compel the dancers to take a break between songs, Harris gently beckons them back to the floor once they caught their breath.
“Come on, girls, you can do it,” she told them. “Who says seniors can't have fun and work out?”
Most of the women who participate in the class have danced since childhood. In their younger days, many performed together in shows and recitals at the Capital Center for the Arts and the Audi. Some come for the exercise, while others go to spend time with their friends, they said.
Rhoda Nute, an 85-year-old Havenwood resident and former dance teacher, is one of the lifelong dancers. She studied creative dancing in college and her favorite style of dance is the waltz. Nute said she enjoys the line dancing class because it keeps her active.
“When you get to be 85, you have to kind of slow down,” Nute said. “I like having the opportunity to move . . . to move to music. This allows me to do that.”
