“The moment of seniors taking to dance has come,” says Geetha Mathen. In 2006 she founded Natya Vyayaama in Kochi to encourage older women to dance and exercise.
“It was ahead of its time then,” she says. In 1998 she had informally started teaching dance to seniors but found few takers. Post the pandemic Geetha is relaunching the classes in May, exclusively for women above 50 and has already received invitations from two apartment complexes to hold sessions. She plans to hold classes at apartments across the city, if there is a group of 10 or more senior dancers. She teaches at her space, Veranda, in Kottayam as well.
Chandrika Menon, 72, is one of the senior dancers at KAPZ Dance Sessions, a dance platform started by choreographer Kalpana Susheelan, in Thevara , Kochi. Chandrika joined last year when the school was founded. “I even dance to nattu nattu,” she says with a laugh, adding “Dance improves your memory, coordination, energy, grace and power, step-by-step.”
