I once asked a friend out to dance at a party and he replied “I can’t. I’m driving!” This notion has given me many days of scribbling notes in my diary, even more moments of staring blankly at walls with wandering thoughts and out of it came this project.
When dance enters one’s life, it can be a bit surprising! We sometimes forget how good it makes us feel, how natural it is and even, how good we might be at it ourselves. Yet, why does it take a long spell of time for a dance floor to fill at a wedding? Why does one need sufficient amounts of alcohol before the lure of the dance floor succumbs them? Have you ever been cleaning the house, listening to the radio when your favourite song comes on and you pump up the volume and sing and dance your socks off? Of course you have! It’s a liberating feeling. But almost certainly done behind closed doors. So what stops us from doing it in public? Surely an act of such fun, energy, self – expression and positivity would bring that joy and encouragement to others, why hide it when we can share it? Dance if you’re open to it, can be an ever – present gift that gives far more than you ever thought possible.
For the past 3 months I’ve been working with Annaduff Active Age group on a project called The Leitrim Express. They’re all aged from 66 to 86!
Each day we danced, shared stories of going to dances years ago and the craic, fashion and rules that went with it. We watched videos, listened to different styles of music, talked about traditions, experimented with new movements, contemporary, ballet, Pilates and then danced some more! We talked about how it made us feel, physically and mentally. Each week that passed, inhibitions faded and they grew in confidence. I learned as much from them as they did from me.
The project concluded on Saturday 8th December at Dromod Train Station. The day the country people always travel to Dublin for Christmas. We wanted a big finale to this project! Our aim was to challenge ourselves knowing our audience in the window frame would pull away again within 90 seconds. To create a greater awareness of the power of movement and the freedom, exhilaration, enjoyment and positive mentality it can bring particularly to the ageing people who think they are beyond their dancing days. To encourage and inspire others to follow in our footsteps, that in the frame of the window from their seat they will see an elderly person happily dancing and sharing that simple moment and joy with them.
At 09:55 the 19 members of Annaduff Active Age group scattered along the platform with their bags, umbrellas, suitcases and newspapers ready to board the train like all the other unsuspecting passengers. When the 10:01 Sligo – Dublin train pulled in and opened its doors the group kicked into action.
Some wore headphones and danced, clicked, wiggled and side stepped to their favourite songs. Stop the World and Let Me Off, I’m Singing in the Rain, Lovely Leitrim and one elderly lady even had a blast of House of Pain’s Jump Around. Some sang their hearts out while others grabbed the station master or a passenger for a waltz and stack of barley to some busking musicians. It was a beautiful moment.
And after 90 seconds or so, away the Dublin bound audience went.
The reactions on the train were very interesting. Some people smiled and gave the thumbs up, others came out to the doorways to clap and cheer, children pointed and giggled, some adults on their phones didn’t even know it was happening, a few teenagers looked away very embarrassed and tried to sneakily video it on their phones, some passengers moved from carriage to carriage to catch all the action on the platform and many more waved and clapped the windows as the train moved off.
And back on the platform the active age group were thrilled with themselves.