Seniors Free of COVID Isolation Dance Together
2022-03-21
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1The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult on many groups of people.
2But perhaps it has been especially hard for many older people.
3Many months of being alone, or isolated, has taken its toll on many senior citizens.
4However, in some places, that isolation is coming to an end.
5For example, in a senior center in New York City, seniors shake their hips and stomp their feet to salsa, cha-cha, and merengue music.
6After two years of living in COVID-19 pandemic isolation, Latin dance classes are getting them moving together again.
7Despite illness and mobility issues -- including the loss of a leg -- students are now able to take free classes at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood in upper Manhattan.
8The dance instructor is 50-year-old Walter Perez.
9He and his partner, an Argentinian tango dancer, started the hour-long class in 2013.
10Their goal was to teach Latin social dances at senior centers.
11Perez said, "We saw how our students got happier and improved their physical balance ... and they socialized."
12Perez told reporters from Reuters news agency that the classes start with seated exercises.
13This way everyone, even those who have trouble moving, can be included. "...And then," he added, "we stand up and we dance a little bit."
14One of the students is Felix Castillo.
15Last year, his leg was amputated due to complications from diabetes.
16The 74-year-old trumpet player said, "I get emotional and need to dance when I hear salsa."
17He said he feels the music and dances in his chair.
18Despite dementia, Eugenia Peralta cannot help but dance around the room.
19The 89-year-old is known for her energetic moves on the dance floor.
20For this, her fellow dancers call her "roadrunner," said her daughter Jackie Peralta.
21A roadrunner is known to be a fast-moving animal.
22"COVID took a toll on her. ... Her mobility went down," said Jackie.
23But now, her mother is active.
24In fact, Jackie said her mother has a hard time staying still in one place.
25Walter Perez, the instructor, said that when in-person classes started after nearly a year's break, the stamina of the senior students was not the same.
26He said, "...many were missing, so it was very sad. But we were happy to be here and to come back, to have this courage to keep going."
27What drives Perez is the pleasure of dance. He found this relationship with dance at age 21.
28That was when his mother died.
29"I went to the church to pray. Next to the church in Argentina there was a tango place.
30So, I started dancing tango, and it was therapeutic for me and then became my profession and my way of living."
31He added that the music and dance have a healing, therapeutic effect on people.
32He likens it to an embrace.
33When the music is playing and you are dancing with others, "...you are not alone, you are walking with the music in an embrace."
34I'm Anna Matteo.
1The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult on many groups of people. But perhaps it has been especially hard for many older people. Many months of being alone, or isolated, has taken its toll on many senior citizens. 2However, in some places, that isolation is coming to an end. 3For example, in a senior center in New York City, seniors shake their hips and stomp their feet to salsa, cha-cha, and merengue music. After two years of living in COVID-19 pandemic isolation, Latin dance classes are getting them moving together again. 4Despite illness and mobility issues -- including the loss of a leg -- students are now able to take free classes at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood in upper Manhattan. 5The dance instructor is 50-year-old Walter Perez. He and his partner, an Argentinian tango dancer, started the hour-long class in 2013. Their goal was to teach Latin social dances at senior centers. 6Perez said, "We saw how our students got happier and improved their physical balance ... and they socialized." 7Perez told reporters from Reuters news agency that the classes start with seated exercises. This way everyone, even those who have trouble moving, can be included. "...And then," he added, "we stand up and we dance a little bit." 8One of the students is Felix Castillo. Last year, his leg was amputated due to complications from diabetes. The 74-year-old trumpet player said, "I get emotional and need to dance when I hear salsa." He said he feels the music and dances in his chair. 9Despite dementia, Eugenia Peralta cannot help but dance around the room. The 89-year-old is known for her energetic moves on the dance floor. For this, her fellow dancers call her "roadrunner," said her daughter Jackie Peralta. A roadrunner is known to be a fast-moving animal. 10"COVID took a toll on her. ... Her mobility went down," said Jackie. But now, her mother is active. In fact, Jackie said her mother has a hard time staying still in one place. 11Walter Perez, the instructor, said that when in-person classes started after nearly a year's break, the stamina of the senior students was not the same. He said, "...many were missing, so it was very sad. But we were happy to be here and to come back, to have this courage to keep going." 12What drives Perez is the pleasure of dance. He found this relationship with dance at age 21. That was when his mother died. 13"I went to the church to pray. Next to the church in Argentina there was a tango place. So, I started dancing tango, and it was therapeutic for me and then became my profession and my way of living." 14He added that the music and dance have a healing, therapeutic effect on people. He likens it to an embrace. When the music is playing and you are dancing with others, "...you are not alone, you are walking with the music in an embrace." 15I'm Anna Matteo. 16Roselle Chen reported this story for Reuters news agency. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17_________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19take a toll - idiom to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something : to cause harm or damage 20senior - n. a person older than another 21stomp - v. to walk heavily or noisily 22mobility - n. the quality or state of being mobile or movable 23amputate - v. to remove by or as if by cutting 24dementia - n. a usually progressive condition (as Alzheimer's disease) marked by the development of multiple cognitive deficits (as memory impairment, aphasia, and inability to plan and initiate complex behavior) 25stamina - n. the ability or strength to keep doing something for a long time 26courage - n. mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty 27therapeutic - n. having a beneficial effect on the body or mind 28embrace - v. to hold in the arms