SOURCE: NIKKEI STYLE – 写真提供＝一般社団法人「ダレデモダンス」
TRF member SAM is continuing to dance and teach choreography in his late ’50s and now he is creating dance programs and stretching programs for the elderly under the supervision of medical staff.
SAM’s goal is to develop a program for rehab and have it spread throughout the country.
As for how the idea came to be, SAM’s cousin who works as a member of the House of Councilors asked him to create a dance for the elderly. Many people who work in politics are often busy and don’t have time to exercise, but with these easy dances, it’s something that anyone can do easily.
In 2012, SAM released an exercise DVD titled “TRF EZ DO DANCERCIZE” and it received a large response than anticipated. SAM felt, “People in the world really want this” and so he thought about making ad ance program for the elderly and part of a healthy lifespan of stretching and dancing are linked. So, SAM created a business corporation called “Dare Demo Dance” (Anyone Can Dance) and is cooperating with others to create programs for the elderly.
SAM said that because he is focusing the program on the elderly, those who may not know much about dance, under the supervision of doctors and physiotherapists, he thought about how to make the dances work, what motions should not be done and considering safety and mobility in a well-balanced manner.
SAM said he also dropped the tempo to make it easy for one to dance. For example, “BOY MEETS GIRL: is about 135 BPM (Beats Per Minute) and dropped it to 120. Many elderly who listened to the song said “This song is good” and “I want to dance to this song”.
SAM said once a month he is teaching about 70 elderly people in Iwatsuki ward in Saitama and with the request of the government, instructors certified by Dare Demo Dance are teaching the program all over the country. In fact, the other day, SAM held a workshop teaching about 100 people at a facility in Meguro.
SAM hopes that culture centers and sports club will be able to implement the program.
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- Ongaku Cafe (The ’90s): trf – EZ DO DANCE (July 1993)
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