Audrey Burgio, foreground, 23, along with the rest of the adult gymnastics class, work on core strengthening. Paul Litman
Adults revisit childhood activities
BY ALIESE WILLARD
Just exercise. That was Brenda Garrison’s reasoning when she signed up for the adult tap dancing class at Dance Dimensions in Longmont.
“And I said, ‘don’t ever put me in a costume and don’t put me on a stage,’” Garrison recalls. “Now, they have to use the hook to pull me off (the stage). It’s been a part of my life ever since. I will keep going ‘til I can’t go anymore.”
Garrison, 69, has been tap dancing with her daughter Teresa Lickti, 49, for 10 years. They are one of several mother-daughter pairs taking adult dance classes at Dance Dimensions, where dancers’ ages span from late teens to early 70s.
Across town, Alex Martin teaches an adult gymnastics class at Airborne Gymnastics. She says when she started as a fitness coordinator at Airborne, adults had been asking about taking classes like their children did.
“They wanted to jump around and step on the equipment. They wanted to play again,” Martin says.
These adult activity classes become more than fulfilling a childhood fantasy or a cure for nostalgia. They challenge, encourage and foster community among the participants.
Kick Up Your Heels – Literally
When adults enter Martin’s gymnastics class, they are eagerly nervous for the physical maneuvers they learn. In a one-hour class, adults sweat through 25 minutes of aerobic and core training, doing typical exercises used by gymnasts for strength. Then they work on one of the four main areas of women’s gymnastics training: the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercises. Though they’re not training for a competition, the workout is high intensity. It’s not unusual to see class participants doing flips or handsprings on the trampoline.
The adult tap dancing and hip hop classes at Dance Dimensions are a little more relaxed. Students learn different dance moves and combinations in class for an hour. The true challenge for them is at the end of the year, when their skills culminate in a dance they perform in the company spring concert. And it’s quite a show. “They bring the house down,” says Louise Leise, owner of Dance Dimensions and instructor of the adult tap class. “The audience loves seeing them perform.”
Friends and Benefits
Joining a class can be daunting, especially since most of the participants haven’t participated in the activity in years. “It is a little intimidating the first time,” Leise says. “It takes a class or two to break the ice.”
But the gains from taking the class are more than worth it. In addition to the calorie-burning, participants can be proud of their refreshed childhood skills.
“They’re getting a good workout and feel a sense of accomplishment,” Martin says. “They might have done something they haven’t done in 20 years. I have 40 and 45-year-olds doing stuff that’s hard for even some of the younger kids. Even though they’re older, they’re still strong.”
Cherished friendships and a sense of camaraderie are also rewards of taking either class.
“It’s a wonderful bonding experience,” Garrison says of her tap class. “I feel flattered that my daughter would dance with me. We all get along so well (in the tap class). We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We have a fun time. I look forward to tap every week.”
Leise sees the classes as a way to inspire future generations. “The greatest benefit is for the kids to see that it’s ageless,” she says. “That (dance) is something they can do even into their 70s.”
For everyone involved, it’s a joy to return to what they love. “It was time to get back into it and reconnect with that part of their lives,” Leise says. “It’s like riding a bicycle. It doesn’t take that long to remember and get back into it.”
