39. Dancing as you age with Jan Bolwell

Dancing as you age is starting to get traction as a belief. Silver Swans, social dancing, old time dancing, Barre — multiple groups for older dancers are spreading throughout the world. Diversity in dance finally includes old people dancing, even in public! Cancer nudged one-time dance educator Jan Bolwell out of her job and into a new life as a dancer, playwright, actor. For the last 26 years she's been the legendary leader of the Crows Feet Dance Collective. These women over 35 dance every week for a new show every year. I've been a member for 20 of those years. We're a mixed bunch when it comes to training (from zero to professional) and skills, but we all dance for the love of it. Abilities change with age and that's OK At 86 my difficulties with memory, slow reflexes and balance are becoming obvious, but there's usually still a place for me in the back row. Many members are in their beautiful prime of life but others have sore knees, sore backs, osteoporosis... Stop me, you get the picture. Jan and other empathetic choreographers (including , this year, Anna Groves, Carolyn McKeefry, Tania Kopytko and Sacha Copland) bind us together into a community, tightly knit as friends who dance together. Dancing is different in old age. But you can dance sitting down, dance just with your feet or eyes or creaky old hands if nothing else works. It's terrific to have an activity which you adore and which you can carry on from 2 years to 92 years. (That's my plan.) A few examples of dance groups for older dancers Creating Dance with Elders, and How to See It (Illinois Theatre) ENBEldersCo English National Ballet Crows Feet Dance Collective Silver Swans (Royal Academy of Dance) Rebound Dance Company Christchurch Australasian Dance Collective Mature Artists Dance Experience (MADE) I could add hundreds and thousands of other dance groups: it's a thing! And Jan Bolwell started one of the first on that list with Crows Feet Dance Collective.