TGIFriday Dance Party

SBDC dance in the beautiful MountainView Ballroom (Photo by Sheila Honey)

SBDC dance in the beautiful MountainView Ballroom (Photo by Sheila Honey)

Diana Durham

You’re invited! A Fabulous Thank Goodness It’s Friday Dance Party happens on April 17, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom. Start off the weekend swinging and swaying to a great selection of dance tunes. This fun event is sponsored by the SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club (SBDC) and all SaddleBrooke residents are welcome. The dance is free! There will be a no host bar and you are welcome to join SBDC at the MountainView Bar and Grill East Room afterwards for dinner. Diners order from the menu and pay menu prices. To reserve a seat for dinner after the dance contact Kathleen Dunbar at the event. And save May 15, the date for the next TGIF Dance Party, same time, same place, same great fun!

And plan to attend the SBDC First Thursday Dinner Dance on May 7 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the SaddleBrooke One Vistas Restaurant, with dancing in the adjacent Vermilion Room. You can dine or dance or both. Diners order from the Vistas menu and pay menu prices. To make a reservation for dinner please call the SaddleBrooke One Main Desk at 520-825-3048 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.). You can ask to be included in the dancers’ group, or to dine with other friends. Join the SBDC members on the dance floor. There’s no fee for the dance and the dance is open to all SaddleBrooke residents.

On Sundays, April 19 and 26, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. attend an open dance practice in the beautiful MountainView ballroom. DJ’s Rick and Kaye Baumgartner will play a wide selection of danceable tunes. SBDC members will attend and are glad to answer questions and help with dance steps. It’s a great time to practice or just dance. Dress is casual, water is provided, and it’s free! No reservation required.

Dance is good for us. Dance can boost cardiovascular health and improve balance, flexibility, and bone strength. But there’s evidence it does much more. A New England Journal of Medicine study investigated the effect leisure activities have on the risk of dementia in the elderly. Researchers found that frequent dancing was the only physical activity of the nine studied that appeared to lower the participants’ risk of dementia by 76%. The lead author of the study, Joe Verghese, a professor of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, says “unlike many other physical activities, dancing also involves significant mental effort and social interactions.” Both intellectual and social stimulation have been shown to reduce the risk of getting dementia.

SBDC’s goal is to provide dance events, classes, practices, and other opportunities for our SaddleBrooke residents to fully enjoy ballroom dancing. Visit http://www.sbballroomdance.com/ for membership opportunities and dance updates. (At times our HOA has a special need and cancels our floor time, so be sure to check the website for any changes.)