Too Old To Dance?

Note: In "Dear Shira", city names and other details are changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

Dear Shira,

I've been bit by the belly dancing bug, but at 70 I'm afraid I may be too old. Can a woman "of a certain age" like me still belly dance?

--Silver Swan

Dear Silver,

Belly dancing isn't just a beautiful art form, it's a great form of exercise for women of all ages! Unlike ballet and jazz dance which require dancers to start young, most belly dance moves flow with the body's natural ways of moving, and can be learned even as a senior citizen. The soft, gentle undulations won't jar your joints, and will help you feel graceful. Depending on your age and your health history, you may want to check with your doctor to be sure, but most seniors benefit from getting regular, low-impact, aerobic exercise like Oriental dance. It keeps your cardiovascular system healthy and helps ward off osteoporosis.

There may be some moves taught in class that you feel are unsafe for your body, particularly certain kinds of floor work or rapid hair-flipping. Use your common sense and knowledge of your own body's history to decide when it's better not to try a particular move, and consult your doctor if you're not sure.

Most jobs for professional dancers look for women who appear to be in the child-bearing years, and some dance troupes prefer younger dancers. Don't disappoint yourself by aspiring to something like that which is unrealistic. But there are many dance troupes who would joyfully accept dancers of all ages, including seniors, and plenty of performance opportunities in student recitals, belly dance haflas, community festivals, and "community service" shows that can provide a welcoming showcase for your budding dance skills. Just think how much the residents of a retirement community or nursing home would enjoy seeing one of their peers do an Oriental dance performance for them!

Two quotes on this subject I particularly enjoy came from baseball pitcher Satchel Paige, the same person who said "Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching":

Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?

A web site you might enjoy is Belly Dancing For Older Women. It has several articles about belly dancing that are particularly slanted to be of interest to older women.

--Shira