Dance program brings health and community to Charlottetown seniors

Julia Sauvé, left and Catherine O’Brien, organized the program “Dance for the Health of It,” a series of free dancing classes for improving senior’s mobility. The classes are held every Monday at Beaconsfield Carriage House.

In Charlottetown, seniors are finding a free new way to stay active and healthy through the "Dance for the Health of It" program.  

The program, offered in partnership with Young at Heart Theatre, offers seniors a chance to connect with their bodies in a safe, community-based environment.  

This initiative is funded by Innovation P.E.I., through the Community Cultural Partnership Program, which allows classes to be free of charge. It runs every Monday at Beaconsfield Carriage House. 

Catherine O’Brien, Executive Director of Young at Heart Theatre, explained the motivation behind offering these classes. 

“We've expanded our mandate to include more activities for seniors because we know there are a lot of seniors who want more participation in cultural activities,” she said. “We put the notice out, and it filled instantly. We had a huge waiting list.” 

The classes are guided by Julia Sauvé, who has over 40 years of experience teaching dance and 20 years teaching this class at Dance Umbrella. 

One of the key focuses of the program is practicing skills that often decline with age.  

“Balance is a big thing, and we work on that a lot. I’m doing more this season with coordination as well, which is important for both mobility and brain power,” Sauvé said. 

“I always describe it as ‘this is dance for the health of it.’ This is what we're doing, but this is why we're doing it and I also make reference to how you can use some of these tips in your functional life to keep your body strong and flexible,” Sauvé explained.  

“As people age, our brain power might not be as strong as it was when we were in our 20s or 30s. So bringing that back is really important. That can be done.” 

Catherine O’Brien, organizer of “Dance for the Health of It,” along with other participants, took part in the class on Sept. 20 at the Carriage House.

The class

Most of the class is done seated. This is one of the takes Sauvé got from recently working with Dancing with Parkinson.  

Participants learn how to move their limbs while maintaining their bodies stability to end up standing up. 

“The first part of the body that dances is the ears,” Sauvé explained. “We take in the music and it moves through us. It’s important for participants to feel connected to the music, and through that connection, we work on restoring functional movement and coordination.” 

Participants have responded positively to the sense of community the class fosters. 

“I forgot how much I missed the group class. There's such a great energy with people all doing something together,” O’Brien said after years of solo workouts during the pandemic. 

“It’s fun and being instructed by somebody so informative helps. Goodness knows what I'm doing at home—I might be making all kinds of mistakes.” 

Health of It,” along with other participants, took part in the class on Sept. 20 at the Carriage House. 

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