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An eight-week movement program brought seniors to center stage Nov. 21, 2024, with a dance recital at the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center in Alexandria.
Participants from Alexandria Adult Day Services spent two months learning dance movements they could perform while seated in chairs. Their prepared routine opened the Helping Hearts Dance with Seniors show.
Volunteer dancers worked alongside the seniors as part of Helping Hearts Through the Arts, an organization founded in 2013 to encourage lifelong movement and an appreciation for the arts.
The City of Alexandria awarded a Fiscal Year 2025 grant supporting the project with Alexandria Adult Day Services. Founder Sue Skadden thanked the city for funding the program and said the organization was thrilled to perform there.
Helping Hearts’ dancers range in age from 40 to older than 75, reflecting the group’s message that high-quality performance can continue at any age. Its programs feature tap, musical theater, modern, ballet and contemporary dance for senior communities across the Washington metropolitan area.