Following the stress and isolation of the last few years, a fun and easy avenue that鈥檚 mentally uplifting is hitting the dance floor.
The Social Square Dance program (SSD) focuses on making new friends, having fun and moving to good dance choreography, set to a wide variety of music.
The long-running non-profit Star Country Squares dance club of Vernon has adopted the program and it鈥檚 being well received. New dancer sessions start at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 2 in the Halina Activity Room at the Vernon Recreation Complex.
Newcomers are welcome to just drop in to discover the fun. The attire is casual; couples, singles, families and youth aged 12 and up are welcome and the fees are economical.
鈥淎nother important element about presenting Social Square Dancing as the pandemic winds down is that many people desperately need social interaction. The isolation brought about during the pandemic has taken a toll on mental health,鈥� said Roxy Rollins, promotion volunteer.
In June of 2021, Dr. Lesley Lutes, president of the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs, told dance leaders that: 鈥淚ncreasing lifestyle physical activity improves overall health and well-being 鈥� which is more needed than ever for B.C. residents.鈥�
鈥淲hat鈥檚 notable is that the program is a condensed version of the more extensive mainstream square dance program, intended to get newcomers dancing sooner,鈥� said Rollins.
Taught once a week over 12 two-hour sessions, it encompasses 54 square dance 鈥榗alls鈥� that define a destination program.
Upon learning the program, the dancers can enjoy regular fun dances without committing to additional instruction.
Furthermore, a shorter instruction period allows non-profit dance clubs like the Star Country Squares to build their membership by offering several lesson startups or intakes during the fall/winter/spring months.
For Star Country this will be their third of three startups.
鈥淭he dancers who undertook the first and second startups are now out having fun on the dance floor,鈥� said Rollins.
An extra bonus is being able to travel to other nearby dance clubs such as in Salmon Arm and Chase/Kamloops where they鈥檙e presenting the same universal program.
鈥淭he SSD program is a reflection of the times,鈥� said Rollins. 鈥淭hat being the lack of time people have in the 21st Century.鈥�
The amiable and talented caller-teacher Allan Peterson of Salmon Arm travels to Vernon weekly to conduct the dance sessions.
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