Denise Green
It’s easy to recognize members of the Sun Lakes Sunday Dance Club. They’re the folks with a twinkle in their eye, an infectious laugh and a spring in their step… well, at least we like to think that! Dancing is like finding the Fountain of Youth for many.
Ask 20 different members their favorite part of their monthly ballroom events, and you’ll get 20 different answers, all of them positive and upbeat. “Ballroom dancing,” specifically as a partnered dance, has terrific health benefits for their mind, body and spirit. Science tells us they’re right.
Is it better for your health to go running or to hit the gym? A Time magazine article, “Why Dancing Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Body” (July 2017) includes, “If running is like driving on a freeway, dancing is more like motoring through a busy city. All of that starting, stopping and changing directions burns a ton of fuel even though you’re not covering a lot of ground… Put all this together, and it’s clear we could all use more samba, salsa or boot scootin’ in our lives.” Ballroom dancing is good for the mind. It is even better than reading or crossword puzzles at stimulating your mind and maintaining memory and cognitive activity. Ballroom dancing is obviously great for physical fitness and health that enhances the way you look and feel. It improves emotional health as well by affording stress relief, improving your mood and building confidence and self-esteem.
Our 2018/19 season begins on September 23, 2018, featuring the DK Orchestra. Mark your calendars for 2018/19 season:
2018: September 23, October 21, November 18, December 16
2019: January 20, February 17, March 24, April 14
Couples membership for all eight dances, including Valentine’s Dinner Dance:
$185 (if paid before September 1, 2018)
$195 (if paid after September 1, 2018)
Non-members (pay as you go):
$25 per couple guest fee for each of the seven regular dances
$100 per couple for the Valentine’s Dinner Dance
Please mail your membership check to John Yu, 9617 E. Sherwood Way, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248. Pre-payment is REFUNDABLE up through the first two dances.
Prior to each dance, Mary Lou Kaye, our resident dance instructor, offers a “Social Dance Class,” a one-hour lesson beginning at 4:45 p.m. for a charge of $5 per person to help novice dancers enjoy a greater variety of dances. Couples and single dancers meet at the “Dance Studio” room, located in the first building when you turn in to the Oakwood Complex off EJ Robson Blvd. After the class, Mary Lou Kaye hosts a reserved table at the Sunday Dance Club for you to try your new steps. Visit our website for more details, www.sunlakes-sundaydanceclub.com.