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Sunday, March 23, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 22Continued from page 21Garfield Community Center also offers a specific dance class for those with Parkinson%u2019s disease %u2014 Dance for PD %u2014 put on by the Seattle Theatre Group. Also free, it%u2019s on Thursday mornings throughout the year, in Bellevue at the Pacific Northwest Ballet%u2019s Francia Russell Center on Mondays and via Zoom. Preregistration is required for either class and more information is available at stgpresents.org.Pairs dancing is another method of incorporating dance into your exercise routine, says Guy Caridi, a teacher with Northwest Dance Network who instructs weekly at the Lakewood Community Center in South Seattle, among other places.A dancer, dance teacher and choreographer for more than three decades, Caridi says some may be hesitant and afraid to embarrass themselves. %u201cBut it%u2019s a great opportunity to grow in confidence, as well as health,%u201d he says.There are a variety of dances done every class, including waltzes, one-step and cha-cha, and East Coast swing %u2014 a wholly American invention that he says is easy to learn. %u201cBeing exposed to music and connecting to another human being through touch, being face to face %u2014 it%u2019s a wonderful experience,%u201d Caridi says. %u201cI met my wife at a dance. I%u2019ve seen friendships and relationships develop through dance.%u201dleads a higher impact version of every dance. Students shift sides based on their comfort level with a given dance, some adding spins if the mood strikes. %u201cIt%u2019s a great way to get fit, and a wonderful way to build community,%u201d she says.Before class, participants gather together to chat and catch up with each other. One woman in her 70s comes with a friend every week. It%u2019s an outing they look forward to. Ponder says one couple who live abroad for half the year attend every single week while in the area.Ponder says that dance classes with set steps can be a good entry point for those nervous about dancing in public. You just need to learn the pattern, another thing that%u2019s good for neurological health. %u201cIt can be great for confidence,%u201d she says.Along with her Garfield class, Ponder teaches in Africatown on Thursday evenings and at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center on Mondays and Wednesdays. %u201cI%u2019m a success story,%u201d she says. %u201cI keep my diabetes controlled through dance.%u201dPonder suggests talking to your physician or health care provider if you are concerned about whether you should participate, and always start with a beginner class with low-impact options.Look at the guy in the car next to you bopping to the oldies at the stoplight, or the people in the stands at a sports game grooving to the tunes between plays, Caridi says. %u201cMovement is natural. It%u2019s born in us,%u201d he says.Being exposed to music and connecting to another human being through touch, being %u201cface to face %u2014 it%u2019s a wonderful experience.Guy CaridiResourcesFind dance classes at your nearest senior center, community center and through local businesses.PopRox (PopRoxDance.com)Northwest Dance Center (nwdance.net)Dance Fusion Studios (dancefusionstudios.com)YMCA (seattleymca.org)Seattle Parks and Recreation (seattle.gov/parks)Stroum Jewish Community Center (sjcc.org)!\Anna Ponder used dance to lose weight and regain a healthy lifestyle. Now, she leads dance classes to help others. (Lisa Jaffe / Special to Aging Well)