Rose Tree Place hosts popular ballroom dancing classes for seniors

Media, Pa. – Rose Tree Place resident Bobbie Poppel’s love of dance began when she took tap and ballet classes as a young girl. As she grew, Poppel attended neighborhood dances and learned the cha-cha, merengue, alley cat, Israeli and Greek folk dances, and much more. She even met her husband at a dance held at the Germantown Jewish Centre on April 9, 1967. Now, at 80 years old, Poppel continues dancing regularly and learning new styles at her Watermark Retirement Community, Rose Tree Place.

After her first class at the community, Poppel felt even more at home.

“Gene, the dance instructor, came over to me, held out his hand, and asked if I wanted to dance,” said Poppel, a Rose Tree Place resident for 7 months. “We were doing the fox trot and I loved it. I felt like I was soaring; nothing else around me seemed to exist.”

About 40-50 residents take Gene LaPierre’s ballroom class every month at Rose Tree Place, eager to learn from a professional dancer and owner of LaPierre’s Ballroom Dance Studio in Woodbury. His class is part of Watermark University, which brings invigorating programs that stimulate the mind, keep the body strong, and expand horizons to residents at Watermark Retirement Communities, including at Rose Tree Place.

“The ballroom dance class brings back a lot of good memories for our residents, and it really gets the blood flowing,” said Rose Tree Place Community Life Director Karen Holahan. “They are using different muscles and getting exercise. Our residents can’t wait for the next class each month. Years after starting this, our numbers are stronger than ever!”

LaPierre’s class begins with the residents sitting in a large circle and using their hands to mimic the steps of their feet to favorite dances, such as the waltz, fox trot, rhumba and jitterbug. After using their hands, LaPierre and his partner, Raye LeValley, assist their seated students to move their legs and feet to the dance steps. LaPierre and LeValley then partner with those who are ready to give the dance a try on their feet.

“The energy the Rose Tree Place residents bring to class is really fun,” said LaPierre. “They are very active, and it’s nice to connect with them. We dance, but we also talk about their families and where they grew up. It’s just a great group of people.”

LaPierre, 61, has been in the dance business for more than 33 years, and teaches ballroom dancing at Rowan University. He also founded the university’s Ballroom Dance Team. He began teaching ballroom dance lessons to residents at another nearby Watermark Retirement Community, Woodbury Mews in Woodbury, N.J., seven years ago. He became a regular at Rose Tree Place four years ago.

LaPierre’s lessons at the communities are part of the Ballroom Dancing for a Better U, a nonprofit organization that shares the idea that ballroom dancing can bring positive changes in the lives of every individual.

“We have sustained a partnership with Gene and Ballroom Dancing for a Better U, because the benefits to our residents are clear,” said Rose Tree Place Executive Director Brian Clark. “They are engaging monthly in exercise, but even more important, they are laughing and connecting and having fun. This is our goal for retirement living, and we are grateful to Gene for helping us reach this goal.”

About Watermark Retirement Communities®:

Watermark creates extraordinary and innovative communities where people thrive. We believe aging is about renewal rather than retirement. Watermark communities are known for highly trained and caring associates, a lifestyle built on choice, fine amenities, integrative wellness and innovative programs including the award-winning Watermark University featuring a wide variety of engaging classes for residents and area seniors. Watermark has been named in the top 25 Best Workplaces for Aging Services in a national program conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute and published on Fortune.com. A privately held company with a reputation for over 30 years for service, innovation, integrity and financial stability, Watermark manages more than 65 retirement communities coast to coast. Based in Tucson AZ, Watermark is ranked as the nation’s 10th-leading senior housing operator by the American Seniors Housing Association. Visit watermarkcommunities.com for more information.

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