- : Residents of Windham Terrace, an assisted living community located in Windham, NH, learned to dance with help from the teachers at the Krystal Ballroom in Salem, NH. It was a trip down memory lane for many of the seniors.
“I am amazed at how much dancing resonates with our residents,” said Melanie Purcell, activities director for Windham Terrace. “So many of them have past experiences in dance, or have always wanted to learn. This was a wonderful activity for them, and everyone seemed to enjoy learning the ballroom style.”
Resident Karl Venus took dance lessons as a child, and when he met his wife Anna, they continued dancing together. Seeing the dancers brought back wonderful memories for Venus and he could not resist getting up and showing everyone his moves. Bernice Plaza grew up doing the jitterbug, but when she met her Polish husband, he taught her to Polka. They used to attend Polka events together around the nation. Plaza had always been interested in ballroom dancing as well, and realized this was her chance. She took to the floor, learning new moves and finished the night like a pro.
The Krystal Ballroom dance event was part of the celebration of National Assisted Living Week at Windham Terrace. This week of celebration also included a creative writing class led by author Anne Kelsey, a brunch with the local firemen, a cookie contest, and an exhibit of artwork the residents created over the summer. The men enjoyed their own luncheon while the ladies participated in makeovers. Entertainers, including Kid Jazz and Gary Sredzienski, also came to help the residents celebrate.
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