Jan Woodward keeps her passion burning on the hardwoods
“I knew early on I wanted to dance.” Talk about an understatement. Florida native Jan Woodward has spent her entire life stretching and chasséing across hardwood floors. In fifth grade, she begged her mom to take her to ballet lessons. At 72, she started teaching her first series of modern dance classes at Senior Action in Greenville.
“It was wonderful. We had about 12 students,” she shares. “Some had danced in the past; others were trying it for the first time. I’ve always preferred teaching dance rather than performing professionally. I not only have a passion for dance, but I love the nurturing aspect of showing how it can enrich a person’s life.”
Her tutorial and instructional skills are as captivating as a perfect pirouette. Her first teaching position in Greenville was secured by none other than the grand dame of Greenville arts: Virginia Uldrick. “I’d received my MFA in dance at Florida State University,” Woodward recalls. “I came to Greenville in 1977 and Virginia hired me to teach at the Fine Arts Center.”
The high-flying dancer has now come full circle, with a few of her one-time high schoolers now taking her classes at Senior Action. “Oh, it’s a transition!” she shares with a chuckle. “When you teach at the high school level, every year, the dancers stay the same age and you keep getting older. At first you don’t realize an entire generation has passed.”
The 72-year-old relishes the opportunity to keep those over 50 on their feet. “I want to give them a sense they can move,” she reveals. “I want to give them a sense of the technical aspect of maintaining their bodies and to work with balance. It’s all important.”
From modern dance to ballet to line dancing, Senior Action offers wide-ranging styles of dance for different ability levels. “I try to look deep into what is needed with each class,” Woodward explains. “I’ve shared my love of dance my whole life. Exposing others to something they’ve never experienced before, like modern dance . . . I hope everyone will try it. Retirement years provide the chance to reconnect with your passions or try something you’ve always wanted to do.”
Christi Sink Celebrates One Year as Director of Wellness at Senior Action
“Whew! Excuse my voice, I’m out of breath!” Christi Sink dabs her forehead after teaching a class. She claims to be winded, but chatters nonstop about health and wellness without skipping a beat. “I’m passionate about working with seniors and helping them live their best lives,” she exclaims. “I try to present ideas about wellness and health and independence. How to stay active and healthy as they navigate the aging process. The more active they are, the longer they can stay independent.”
She’s celebrating one year at Senior Action, and it’s been a busy year. The 50-year-old grandmother has created the Live Long/Be Strong program, introducing new concepts and ideas to maintain mental and physical fitness. “We’ve brought in experts from outside the mainstream medical community,” she explains. “We’re introducing things outside the norm that hopefully will start to open eyes to different ideas, different ways to take care of themselves.”
Live Long/Be Strong seminar topics have covered chiropractic care, acupuncture, mindfulness, meditation, and QiGong, often times tapping into ultra-personal matters, like restoring the pelvic floor without surgery. Sink shares, “A retired nurse came up to me and said, ‘Wow! I learned things I’d never heard during my career.’”
Sink’s career started with running a daycare. She chuckles at the similarities to Senior Action. “As you age, it can be a struggle to learn new things and keep up. You need to listen to what [people] are saying and find ways to work through and resolve challenges, but I’m committed. If I can keep people strong and active, they won’t need to rely upon others for care. They can remain independent.”
Tips for Staying Mobile
- Move every single day
- Do some sort of resistance training at least twice a week
- Don’t ignore the basics: Eat well and sleep well.
Senior Action by the Numbers
- 55+ years of age, membership requirement
- 5-10 classes are offered each day
- 500-1,000 seniors attend various classes each month
