Fun times at a recent SBDC dance class (photo by Bill Rigg)
Diana Wille
A new 10-year study of more than 29,000 older adults recently published in a medical journal has identified six habits linked with lower risk of dementia and a slower rate of memory decline. These habits are eating a balanced diet, exercising the mind and body regularly, having regular contact with others, and not drinking or smoking.
Your SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club (SBDC) will help you meet three of those six habits. Dancing exercises your body and mind in a fun, entertaining way. Dancing also helps you have regular social contact with others through lessons, dances, and activities. Check out the dance classes below to get started!
The Novice Classes
This program is designed for novice dancers who have little or no knowledge of dancing. Our instructors Ann and Dale Pizzitola are professional dance instructors who know how to get you on the dance floor quickly and easily, and you’ll have fun doing it! These classes are free to all residents of SaddleBrooke. Novice classes are held in the Vermillion Room in SaddleBrooke One at 4 p.m. Here are the dates of upcoming classes:
March 28, focusing on Foxtrot and Rumba
April 4, focusing on Tango and Hustle
April 18, focusing on Waltz and Merengue
Let us know you will attend by emailing Ann at [email protected].
The Novice Practice Parties
After a lesson or two, try your new skills at the Novice Practice Parties on March 31 and April 21 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., also in the Vermillion Room. These Dance Parties are designed to provide to the novice dancer a supervised practice environment, focusing on the dances covered in the novice classes.
Night Club Two Step Lessons
Roger and Linda Schamberg will offer you beginning level Night Club Two Step (NC2) every Monday and Wednesday in April. Roger and Linda are very accomplished NC2 dancers.
Nightclub Two Step was created by a teenage Buddy Schwimmer in the mid-1960s as a way of dancing to the popular slow ballads of the time. It still remains one of the best dances for this purpose today, as it can be danced to nearly 33% of all songs on the pop charts today.
Two NC2 classes will be held in the Mariposa Room at DesertView in SaddleBrooke TWO on Mondays at 6 or 7 p.m. and Wednesdays at 4 or 5 p.m. Email [email protected] to register. (Please note that times and place may change due to HOA booking issues, but Roger will keep registered participants informed of any changes.) Classes are free to members, and a nonmember may attend one class for free to make sure it’s a fit before joining.
We know that dancing is a great way to keep our brains healthy, bodies active, social connections close, and to just plain have fun! Check out our website sbballroomdance.com for our events, activities, and classes. Remember, SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club is where the learning continues, and the fun never ends.