Spring Chicks Keep Fit & Dance was started ten years ago by retired dancer Alice Blue. She wanted to create a fun and welcoming space for older women to stay active. What began as a single weekly session has grown into a busy community group, now offering three exercise classes and four ballet sessions every week.
The group is not a business but runs as a self-sustaining community effort. Its members, aged from their 50s to 80s, meet regularly to stretch, build strength, and dance to a mix of music that includes artists like Deep Purple, Curtis Mayfield, and Mrs Mills.
Alice, known as ‘Chief Chick,’ said the group was never meant to be a business but a community paying its own way. She expressed pride in the group’s growth and strength over the past decade. She noted that people on the Isle of Wight tend to be hearty and outdoorsy, but even so, she is amazed by the stamina of the women in the group.
Many members attend classes twice a week, and all sessions are fully standing, with no chair-based exercises. The ballet classes, called the ‘Dainty Chicks,’ welcome both women with past dance experience and complete beginners.
The group also holds regular social events and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a party. A small volunteer team helps with planning and organization, including Jane, Carol, Pam, Gen, and Chris.
This Sunday, the Dainty Chicks will host ballet teacher Yolande Parkin from Liss Forest Ballet School on the mainland. Yolande holds the highest teaching qualifications from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and will lead a special guest session.
Alice said Yolande is a dear friend from her earlier days and the best ballet teacher she knows. She is excited about the session and looks forward to learning more from the person who inspired her to reconnect with ballet.
Spring Chicks continues to provide movement, music, and mutual support for women across the Isle of Wight. Those interested in joining can contact Alice Blue directly for more information.
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