Why dancing can heal for many seniors after Monterey Park mass shooting – Orange County Register

Alice Sakaye, whose mother Maria Liang owns the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, says dancing has always made her mother and other studio-goers happiest.

Liang was “always making friends and learning a new hobby with others who are all passionate about dancing,” Sakaye said. As her mother got older, dancing always gave her “a sense of community and belonging.”

Dance floors, community centers, and studios like the Star Ballroom have long become safe places for people to gather and express themselves through movement — particularly older adults seeking an 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 is a sense of connectedness in the dance world – particularly with others who have similar mother tongues and interests.

“Some seniors live alone, their children are grown. So it’s very valuable to have a sacred place like a dance hall where they can meet with other seniors and like-minded people,” Sakaye said. “It’s a way for seniors to be physically active and maintain a sense of happiness and belonging.”

Since opening in 1990, Star Ballroom Dance Studio has grown into a popular social venue and community center in downtown Monterey Park, a city with over 65% Asian residents. But on January 21, a lone gunman entered the studio during a social night of dancing, killing 11, including retired co-owner Ming Wei Ma. The victims were all between 57 and 76 years old.

But what happens when a popular meeting place for seniors — a dance floor long considered a safe, welcoming place — becomes the scene of a deadly mass shooting?

The incident has left many in the dance community, including those young and old, traumatized and vulnerable.

But many coaches, including Star Ballroom owner Liang, understand the importance of exercise – how it can heal, improve quality of life and, with time and dedication, hopefully ease people’s anxiety.

As Liang and her family mourn and wonder about reopening the Star Ballroom, they also want people to remember the good memories made at the dance studio – from ballroom dancing and various group classes to cultural dance performances and karaoke -Events.

The dance floor is a place where people can be themselves and find others who become “like family,” said Liang, a veteran ballroom dancer, in an interview.

“Dancing is a special sport; it’s an art,” she said. “When you dance you feel like you’ve achieved something; good health, better posture, more confidence.”

Sakaye said her mother knew the studio was “a second home” for many of its clients, so Liang worked hard to keep it open to the community, especially during the pandemic, by using business loans and other sources of funding.

Dancing was her mother’s “calling,” Sakaye said. “People have realized that you’re never too old to learn a new hobby; You can not only exercise and train, but also have fun doing it.”

Yvonne Liu of Rancho Palos Verdes said her parents also danced at Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, the sister venue in Alhambra that was unsuccessfully attacked by the gunman on January 21.

As the dance community recovered from the attack, Liu reflected on how dancing kept her Chinese immigrant parents “active and social and brought great joy to their family.”

“The studio was a warm, welcoming place where my parents made a lot of friends and enjoyed doing something they loved,” Liu said. “The dance floor was free.”

Instructor Suzanne Werner from Moreno Valley understands that. The 95-year-old from Moreno Valley teaches line dancing classes three times a week for guests at the Moreno Valley Senior Center. She said regular exercise doesn’t bother her and she doesn’t take any medication.

Werner calls the dance group, many of whom are in their 50s, 60s and 70s, their “linedance family.”

“Dance gives us an outlet. It allows me and my students to socialize, maintains our memory and is great for lowering blood pressure,” said Werner. “I live alone but I’m looking forward to teaching classes and seeing everyone … we need people, we can’t just sit at home.”

Redlands-based instructor Harvey Kurland has been teaching low-intensity tai chi classes to students throughout the Inland Empire for decades. Kurland, who is in his 70s, said many of his older students have experienced mental and physical benefits from attending classes consistently; from improved balance and range of motion to less stress or lower blood pressure.

“Health benefits and camaraderie” are what keep his students coming back to class, Kurland said.

One of his senior students, a woman in her 80s, even stopped using her cane, Kurland said. People need to find safe, age-appropriate forms of exercise 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 RhythmAddict Dance Studio in Rancho Cucamonga, which caters to adult learners and regularly hosts ballroom dancing. Garrison said that after the shooting she had to think about increasing security and putting extra deadbolts on the doors.

But Garrison won’t let what happened at Monterey Park stop the students from learning or the dance floor from functioning. Having a safe common space “where people can come, find a partner, and get directions” is always a top priority, she said, especially for many studios that have already weathered the coronavirus pandemic.

“Not everyone made it through COVID… and now with this (shooting) there will be initial fear in the dance community. We can only take so many setbacks,” Garrison said. “But I can’t imagine a world where nobody dances, where we can’t have the creativity and outlet for music and art.”

Music and movement are “healing for the soul,” she added. Dance floors should be safe and welcoming – not just for seniors, but for everyone, regardless of their experience or ability.

“We want to make sure the dance stays safe so people still feel comfortable coming back.”