Alice Sakaye, whose mom Maria Liang owns the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, says that dancing always made her mother and fellow studio patrons the happiest.
Liang was “always making friends, learning a new hobby with others who all enjoy a passion for dancing,” Sakaye said. As her mother got older, dancing always “gave her a sense of community and belonging.”
Dance floors, community centers and studios such as Star Ballroom have become longstanding safe spaces for people to gather and express themselves through movement — especially older adults seeking active community. It’s a creative way to learn something new, while reaping the social and physical health benefits.
For many seniors from heavily-immigrant communities, there’s a feeling of connection — especially with others who have similar mother tongues and interests — in the dance world.
“Some seniors live alone, their children are grown. So to have a sacred place like a dance hall, where they can meet up with other seniors and like-minded people, it’s very precious,” Sakaye said. “It’s a way for seniors to be physically active and maintain a sense of happiness and belonging.”
Since its opening in 1990, Star Ballroom Dance Studio became a beloved social gathering place and community hub in downtown Monterey Park, a city with over 65% Asian residents. But on Jan. 21, a lone gunman entered the studio during a social dance night, killing 11, including retired co-owner Ming Wei Ma. The victims were all between the ages of 57 and 76.
But what happens when a beloved communal gathering hub for seniors — a dance floor long considered a safe, welcoming place — becomes the site of a deadly mass shooting?
The incident has left many in the dance community, younger and older folks included, feeling traumatized and vulnerable.
But many instructors, including Star Ballroom owner Liang, understand the importance of movement — how it can heal, improve quality of life and, with time and commitment, hopefully ease people’s fears.
As Liang and her family mourn and question whether to reopen Star Ballroom, they also want people to remember the good memories made at the dance studio — from social dances and diverse group classes, to cultural dance showcases and karaoke events.
The dance floor was a place for people to be themselves, and to find others who become “like family,” Liang, a longtime ballroom dancer, in an interview.
“Dancing is a special kind of sport; it’s an art,” she said. “When you dance, you have a feeling of accomplishment; good health, better posture, more confidence.”
Sakaye said that her mother knew the studio was “a second home” to many of its patrons, so Liang worked hard to keep it open to the community, especially during the pandemic, obtaining business loans and other funding sources.
Dance was her mother’s “calling,” Sakaye said. “People realized you’re never too old to learn a new hobby; you can not only exercise and get a workout in, but you can have fun doing it, too.”
Yvonne Liu from Rancho Palos Verdes said that her parents also danced at the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, the sister establishment in Alhambra that was unsuccessfully targeted by the gunman on Jan. 21.
As the dance community heals from the attack, Liu reflected on how dancing kept her Chinese immigrant parents “active and social, and brought a lot of joy” to their family.
“The studio was a warm, welcoming place where my parents made many friends and enjoyed doing something they loved,” Liu said. “The dance floor was freeing.”
Instructor Suzanne Werner of Moreno Valley understands this. The 95-year-old from Moreno Valley teaches line dance classes three times a week to patrons at the Moreno Valley Senior Center. She said moving regularly doesn’t get her winded, and that she doesn’t take medication.
Werner calls the dance group, many of whom are in their 50s, 60s and 70s, her “line dance family.”
“Dance gives us an outlet. It allows me and my students to socialize, keeps up our memory, and it’s great for (lowering) blood pressure,” Werner said. “I live alone, but I look forward to teaching classes and seeing everyone… we need people, we can’t just sit at home.”
Redlands-based instructor Harvey Kurland has taught low-intensity tai chi classes to students in the Inland Empire for decades. Kurland, who is in his 70s, said that many of his older students have seen mental and physical benefits from taking classes consistently; such as improved balance and range of motion, to reduced stress or lower blood pressure.
“Health benefits and camaraderie” are what keeps his students coming back to class, Kurland said.
One of his old students, a woman in her 80s, even stopped using her walking cane, Kurland said. People have to find safe, age-appropriate ways of movement that work for them, and be consistent.
“It’s a proven fact; people who exercise (consistently) have better health than people who don’t,” Kurland said. “Sitting around all day is the new smoking.”
Esther Garrison owns the RhythmAddict Dance Studio in Rancho Cucamonga, which caters to adult learners and hosts regular social dances. Garrison said that she had to think about beefing up security in the aftermath of the shooting, setting up extra deadbolts on the doors.
But Garrison won’t let what happened in Monterey Park keep students from learning, or the dance floor from operating. Having a safe, communal space “for people to come, find a partner and get instruction” is always top of mind, she said, especially for many studios that already survived the coronavirus pandemic.
“Not everyone made it through COVID… and now with this (shooting), there’s going to be some initial fear in the dance community. We can only take so many setbacks,” Garrison said. “But I can’t imagine a world where no one is dancing, where we can’t have the creativity and the outlet for music and art.”
Music and movement are “healing to the soul,” she added. Dance floors are meant to be safe and welcoming — not just for seniors, but for everyone, no matter one’s experience or skill set.
“We want to make sure dance stays safe, so people still feel comfortable to come back.”
Source: Orange County Register
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