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Have you ever tried line dancing? If not, you’re missing out! Just ask Margaret Fountain, the line dancing group instructor at London’s Kiwanis Seniors’ Centre. She’s been teaching the activity for 15 years, and has been involved with the Seniors’ Centre for two decades. And she’s always seeing new people pick up the activity and become regulars!
“Our class always shows growth because it’s fun, and it’s good exercise,” says Fountain, whose class sizes are usually 70 people. “It’s also a great way to meet new people.”
If you’re not familiar, line dancing is a lot like how it sounds: it involves a group dance in which the dancers stand side-by-side in one or more lines as they perform a series of dance moves in unison. Line dances usually involve repeated moves that follow a pattern.
Though it was originally performed almost exclusively to country music, that’s no longer the case. And at the Kiwanis Seniors’ Centre, Margaret’s classes dance to various types of music, including Irish and modern. And it’s happening down at the Centre (at 78 Riverside Dr. in London) every Wednesday from 1:00-2:00pm, all year round.
And the benefits are plenty. For starters, line dancing is a great workout. You can burn between 300 and 800 calories in an hour session while improving your cardiovascular health and strengthen your bones and joints. Meanwhile, the activity is a good way to keep your brain active, and also to meet new people and form new friendships.
“Another great thing about line dancing is that you don’t need a partner,” says Fountain. “So, it’s easier for ladies to get involved if they don’t have a partner.”
Contributions by Margaret Fountain and photo by SportsXpress Team
