For the past five years I have been driving to the Juan de Fuca Seniors Centre in Colwood every Wednesday afternoon for line dancing and tap.
The groups run all year (except summer) and are hugely successful and offer a terrific way to get some exercise. Likewise in Victoria, there are numerous groups operated by New Horizons and others.
As for Sooke, there used to be a lot of dancing, two square dance groups, dancing at the Castle on weekends, plus Jim Chambers Ball Room and folk dancing group, but for years now there has been nothing. All of these were ongoing groups, not short term courses.
This fall, EMCS is offering a very short course (three lessons) in line-dancing for $28 – however, after learning the basics there is no group in Sooke that you can join to carry on.
A couple hours dancing in the afternoon is a wonderful way to stay fit, driving back and forth to Langford every week is not.
It seems that there is always funding available for more ball parks and the myriad programs available at SEAPARC but dance is never on the short list.
If anybody knows of some Sooke dance group that I am unaware of it would be most appreciated if they could give me a call, we’re in the book.
As for SEAPARC, please add dance to the recreational activities list, it is long, long overdue.
Elaine Ellinger
Sooke