Seniors have a ball on dance floor
Harry Schnitzer (left) from Lake Hiawatha and Vicenta Cabezas from Parsippany dance at the Parsippany Community Center. (Staff photo: Meghan Ryan)
BY VANESSA VERA ROMAN
PARSIPPANY THIS WEEK
On Thursday afternoons the rhythmic sounds of upbeat ballroom music ring out of the dance studio at the Parsippany Community Center as seniors gather for weekly ballroom dancing lessons.
It's a bit of glamour and grace in the middle of the day, as husband and wife Bing and Lucy Chang voluntarily share more than a decade worth of dancing experience with some senior newbees.
This past spring the Changs - who are very active at the Parsippany Community Center - began teaching the hour-long ballroom dancing class sponsored by Parsippany Live, a program of United Jewish Communities.
After a brief hiatus, the Changs recently resumed classes.
Now retired from careers in information techonolgy and finance, the Changs began taking private dancing lessons about 15 years ago and even danced competitively for some time.
The couple, who play ping-pong at the center, wanted to share their knowledge of ballroom dancing with their fellow seniors.
They figured it was a mild form of exercize for active seniors, and they wanted the seniors to get more active, Lucy Chang said.
"We just feel this is a wonderful sport for couples," said Bing Chang.
Besides, he said, "I still believe older people can learn new tricks."
Teaching brand new dancers, many of whom have never danced before or been exposed to such dancing, is a challenge for the Changs, they said.
"I'm always thinking about how do I transfer the information and knowledge to the beginners," Bing Chang said.
Parsippany resident Ann Fong began taking the classes when they started last spring.
A self-proclaimed lover of dance, Fong said she used to take ballet and tap dance as a child. And though that was "many moons ago," Fong said, "that gave me a little sense of rhythm."
A faithful viewer of the hit TV series "Dancing with the Stars," Fong said she is inspired by the television show.
She loves taking the ballroom dancing class at the Parsippany Community Center and said it's great exercize and a great social outlet.
"As we get older, we're more relaxed and I think we need to keep a sense of rhythm," she said. "We need to keep up our motor skills."
Parsippany resident Vicenta Cabezas, 59, also enjoys the class.
"Dancing is so free," said Cabezas, who knows other Latin dances like tango and cumbia.
And the older folks in the class who continue to dance - "they're cool," she said.
West Orange resident Mary Louie, 69, started taking the ballroom dancing classes with the Changs to get more exercise.
Ten years ago, Louie was taking private dance lessons, but she was never really able to catch on.
"But this time, the teacher, his teaching method is so good. (The) first lesson he taught, I figured I got it," said Louie, who is an active participant in senior programs at the Parsippany Community Center.
Also active playing pingpong at the center, Louie said senior centers in other communities can learn from Parsippany's own community center.
"I appreciate (that) this community provides so many activities, so many programs for senior people," she said. "(It) makes our retirement life so active."
Parsippany Live free ballroom dancing classes are held at the Parsippany Community Center at 1130 Knoll Road on Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, call 973-263-7043.
Vanessa Vera Roman: 973-428-6574; vvera@gannett.com