By Setarreh Massihzadegan
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

For years the Brooksby community has danced through the seasons with weekly line dancing classes. Every Tuesday night, the Towne Centre creative arts studio fills with music while a group of about 15 people gets going for an hour of movement and amusement.

“It’s very good exercise and it’s a lot of fun,” says Susan Bradbury, who lives at Brooksby and has been dancing for years. “Most of the music is nice songs that you might be familiar with and our teacher, Cindy, is a lot of fun. She’s got a nice sense of humor, and she’s very good to dance with,” Bradbury adds.

Knowing the steps
Line dancing—not to be confused with country line dancing—involves about eight or ten different steps arranged in various patterns, says Cindy Gray, who has been teaching the course at Brooksby for more than five years. In each class she teaches about 12 to 15 different dances, during which she calls out the steps so that everyone stays on target.

“You don’t have to know how to dance—it’s not like anybody’s going to be upset if you don’t know the steps. Eventually, you catch on,” Gray says. “I think it’s great exercise. I can’t find any drawbacks to it, to tell you the truth. It’s a great thing to do.”

Gray, who got into line dancing when her mother began learning, has had her own dance studio in Saugus, Mass., for 40 years now. “I was walking in the summer and my mom invited me to go with her and it was a lot more fun than walking, and just as much exercise,” Gray recalls.

New students welcome
Gray’s class runs in ten-week sessions, usually from October through May or June. She says it’s a good way to keep in shape as the winter weather arrives and to socialize with a group while dancing on your own.

The group is always looking for new participants, Gray says, and for those who may not have experience, Bradbury suggests coming to watch a class first. Participants are always more than willing to help others learn the steps.