Members of a Century City seniors’ dance group are preparing to dance their feet off for senior women from Joe Slovo this Women’s Day.
Calling it an initiative “by gogos for gogos”, the Oasis Dance Troupe is preparing a day filled with dance for around 80 senior women in the Joe Slovo community hall on Friday August 9, from 2pm to 4pm.
The “Fiesta Ala Gogo” is driven by Ilana Slomowitz, 78, a professional dancer and muralist.
“As we get older, our world shrinks. We can’t go hiking or paragliding anymore, said Ms Slomowitz. She hopes the event will show the women they are not “past their sell-by dates”.
“Just because you’re old doesn’t mean you can’t shake your tush and just feel that you matter,” she said. The Oasis Dance Troupe is made up of a group of women living at the Oasis Retirement Resort in Century City. The group has recently performed for the seniors at the Oasis Care Centre.
The troupe will be joined at the community hall by dance students Ms Slomowitz teaches at a local gym. “After we’ve done our bit, we’re going to get the gogos to come up, and we are all going to dance together,” she said.
A member of the Oasis Dance Troupe, Lynne Hamburger, said Ms Slomowitz’s enthusiasm was contagious.
“She’s unbelievable. Her determination to get us moving has been great.”
There will also be a few sweet treats and a goody bag in store for those who attend the Fiesta Ala Gogo. Ms Slomowitz said she could not have pulled the event off without the help of Century City Rotarian Yvette Zihhalirwa, who helped her to book the hall and get some of the donations for the goody bags.