Dancercise is a fun adult exercise class offered to the community by St Edyth’s Church, Sea Mills – Wednesday’s at 10am.
Combining simple dance moves with careful stretching and strengthening exercises, dancercise is design to encourage mobility and fitness in a really friendly atmosphere – we even have a cuppa and a chat afterwards.
The classes run every week – Wednesday, 10am at St Edyth’s. In support of the Bristol North West Food Bank and CAP (Christians Against Poverty) there’s no charge to anyone who is unemployed or on a low income.
See how these classes started below…..
Space to Live ᠅ Space to Move ᠅ Space to Be
Hi, I’m Anna and I’m a dancer and dance teacher. Like all dancers, I’ve known for years that dance and exercise is good for the mind, body and soul – and it’s fun! But now it’s also official; medical experts across the globe agree DANCE IS GOOD FOR YOU!
In 2016 I was really challenged by the difficulties faced by some in our community. I saw that a growing number of people were facing the daily grind of coping on low incomes, or surviving on zero hours contracts or simply living on their own feeling isolated. I was already supporting two great organisations in our community: the Bristol North West Food Bank and the local CAP Centre (Christians Against Poverty) and I wanted to see what I could add to these services.
Dancing has always made me feel better, no matter what ups and downs I’ve been facing. When I’m in a dance or exercise class I can leave all the busyness and worries of the day outside and spend an hour or so having fun, improving my health and mixing with other people. Classes can be expensive though, and if you’re already battling on a low income the luxury of a weekly dance or exercise class is likely to be low on your list of priorities. Thinking about this I realised that with support I could make a weekly class accessible to everyone and give people a safe space to dance, have fun and hopefully feel a little brighter when they leave than they did when they came in.
So, with the support of St Edyth’s Church in Sea Mills and the Bristol North West Food Bank we set up these Dancercise classes. The classes run every week, even in the school holidays and are open to adults of all abilities, mobilities and age. There’s no set charge for the class, we suggest a donation of £3 to cover costs but emphasise that the classes are totally free for those on low incomes.
The class lasts for about an hour during which time we have a seated warm up, a few exercises to get us moving and then try a couple of simple dance routines using a variety of styles and music. The pace slows down towards the end and then after class there’s an opportunity to stay for a cuppa and a chat.
Fit or never exercised, standing or seated, 20 or 80, there really is a warm welcome waiting for everyone at Dancercise. Why not come and join us? We meet in the church at 10am on Wednesdays. Visit our Facebook page is @dancercise.bristol for more information.