Ballroom dancing increasingly popular in the area thanks to ‘Dancing With The Stars’

By Mary Beth Roach

Years before TV’s mega-hit “Dancing With The Stars” was even a twinkle, Donna Natale O’Neil, Dennis Deland and Geno Aureli were offering dance instruction in Central New York. And while the three instructors credit the popular show for an increased interest in ballroom dancing across all age groups, many of their students say it was a long-time desire to dance and the opportunity for fun and exercise that inspired them to kick up their heels and enroll in classes.

Suzy Tankersley, 60, of Syracuse, has always enjoyed dancing, so her husband, Clint, 61, gave her three dance lessons for Christmas a few years ago. He figured that the lessons might satisfy her desire to dance.
What Clint didn’t figure on, however, was that he would enjoy it as much as she does. They’ve been taking classes at O’Neil’s Puttin’ on the Ritz, located at Driver’s Village in Cicero, for more than two years now, and they have found it not only to be good exercise, but they’ve been able to create new friendships.

And although Suzy jokes that “it’s harder than it looks,” her smile as she glides across the floor belies her comment.

“It’s a better workout than you think, without dripping sweat,” according to O’Neil.

To stay on their toes, many take what they’ve learned each week to any number of dances offered throughout the Syracuse area.

Gerry Youngs, who assists Deland with instruction at the OCM BOCES location in Liverpool with Walt Medicis Associates, will often attend dances outside of class, and will dance for two to three hours.
“You’ll get a good workout — a lot of cardio,” the Cato resident said. “You can work at it as hard as you want.”

Because people can so easily adjust the pace at which they want to dance, it is a great activity for those age 50 and older, said National Dance Association’s Marian Simpson in an article titled “Let’s Dance To Health” that appears on AARP.org.

“Dancing can give you a great mind-body workout,” the story reads. “Researchers are learning that regular physical activity in general can help keep your body, including your brain, healthy as you age. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. And dancing that requires you to remember dance steps and sequences boosts brain power by improving memory skills.”
Local instructors agree.

“The learning process is a significant mental challenge,” said Aureli, who runs All for the Love of Dancing. “When they make the decision to learn to dance, they have to learn to move and use their bodies in new ways. Correct posture, proper dance position, the many and varied foot patterns, arm and head styling, learning to lead or to follow and add in the fact that it all changes from dance to dance and you can see that there is plenty of room for mental exercise!”

Deland said that in his class they learn the steps, and from there, the students can create their own patterns, which, he said, means they have to think ahead.

But the benefits go well beyond the physical and mental aspects. The students emphasized that they enjoy the opportunity to meet new people and to do something as a couple.

“This is something you can do together for the rest of your lives,” said Kennatta O’Brien, 55, of Syracuse, who attends classes at Puttin’ on the Ritz, with her friend, Ron Adams, 60, of Parish.

While helping each other through cross-body positions or outside under-arm turns, students and instructors will chat while “cha-chaing” or swap stories while doing the samba. The easy camaraderie among the students creates a comfortable and enjoyable setting for them to learn.

“I kind of feel like a social director,” quipped O’Neil, adding that it’s important to her for the students to get to know each other, to make new friends.

Toward the end, she hosts barbecues for the students, dances with live bands about six times a year for both students and the general public in the Court at Driver’s Village, and CD dances in her studio every few weeks.

Aureli and his wife host an open ballroom dance on the first and third Saturday of every month, and on any given night, half of those in attendance are seniors, he said.

Do you think you have two left feet? Convinced you won’t like it? Instructors and students alike say these are not reasons to sit the dance out.

There is a fear factor, Aureli admitted, but it is “very do-able. Don’t ever feel you can’t do this.”

“Non-dancers can dance,” O’Brien said, and all those interviewed agree that dancing is a learned skill.

And Deland was one of those who decided before he even started that he wasn’t going to like it. But he was mistaken, he said, adding that he felt that he belonged immediately, and after a relatively short period of time, he became an instructor.

And even if you don’t have a dance partner, join in anyway, people interviewed for this story said.

It didn’t stop Harriette Taylor, 55, of Phoenix, who likes to dance so much she attends the classes at Puttin’ on the Ritz by herself. And some of the instruction at the BOCES program is structured so that the partners rotate, leaving no one out for very long.

And Dennis Goodrich, 55, of Geddes, takes a weekly class with his wife, Linda, at Puttin’ on the Ritz, but sometimes he’ll come solo for another class so he can memorize the patterns and get a step up on his ability to lead.

And some have even found romance along with the dance.

Deland said that a few of his students have fallen in love and gotten married. And now, they were well prepared to dance at their wedding.

Rosie Ryan’s got the right idea.

“Get out and do something,” she said, during a lesson with Aureli. And Rosie practices what she preaches. The 66-year-old Minoa resident walks four miles every other day and had taken line dancing for four years before starting with Aureli’s class.

“Give it a try,” she added.