Line Dancing at the Jenks Center: Staying Young One Step at a Time

Despite the fact that there are renovations going on in the Pond Room, Jenks Hall in the Jenks Center is hopping Monday and Friday afternoons. Line Dancing, hosted by retiree Mary Bailey, is a great way to stay in shape and meet some wonderful people that really know how to shake a leg.

"I couldn't live without it," said Eileen MacDonald, one of the some two dozen women that attend the 1 p.m. Monday and Friday advanced line dancing classes.

The girls step-dance to old and new country hits like Dolly Parton or techno re-mixes of such classics like the Tennessee Waltz. They aren't fooling around either; the advanced class is upbeat, fast and impressively together.

Fortunately for dancers born with two left feet, there is a beginners' class every Monday at noon that Bailey also hosts. This class is a slower, more introductory class compared to the faster pace of the advanced class.

"It's like learning a new language at first," Bailey said. "Eventually you learn how to respond to that language."

Although the Winchester sessions are composed of all women, men are welcome to join in the action as well.

"This one's all women, but my Watertown group has a few men. It's open to anyone," Bailey said.

The social aspect of the classes is as important as the dancing. In between each song, the women, mainly composed of retirees from Winchester and surrounding towns, take a few minutes to chat amongst themselves about family and other subjects before Bailey pumps out another jam and gets them moving in unison again.

Dancer Joan Somantherly breaks it down simply, showing the spirit of why most of the women attend.

"I love to dance. I love our instructor," she said. "(Bailey's) a great dancer and we have a lot of fun. A lot of fun."

If you want to join in with a lovely group of friends, get some good exercise and learn a hip way to stay active and upbeat, join Mary and the girls every Monday and Friday at 1 p.m. down at the Jenks Center.