In living rooms across France, once a week, people are moving their furniture to one side, logging onto Zoom and preparing for an hour completely dedicated to dance.
Silver Swans ballet classes were created by the UK’s Royal Academy of Dance in 2017 and are specifically designed for over-55s.
Their ambassador is British broadcaster Angela Rippon, the host of the original Come Dancing TV show, who became the oldest-ever contestant on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing when she competed in 2023 at the age of 79.
“Ballet is often regarded as an activity for young people but it brings so many benefits to dancers of all ages. It can help improve posture, mobility, coordination and energy levels,” said teacher Johanna Hadley, of the Janet Lomas School of Dancing, who has been involved in teaching Silver Swans classes since their inception.
After the surprising success of its online classes during Covid, the dance school decided to move all its classes online, opening them up to people from all over the world, including France.
“In France, the distance travelling to such a class could be vast, especially for those in more remote areas, so online is the perfect option. France is the most popular country of residence for our dancers outside of the UK,” said Ms Hadley.
One France-based student is Denise Souffi, 66, in Achères, near Paris, and originally from Gateshead, UK, who retired from a three-decade long teaching career in France in 2021.
She had looked for in-person ballet classes in France, but had found groups were either aimed at younger dancers or were more “old lady” tea dances. After an online search, she found the Silver Swans classes and, despite not having danced for many years, soon remembered the moves.
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“It had been a long time since I’d done ballet but muscle memory is a wonderful thing – it does come back to you, even if you last did it as a child.”
Classes are held live, which means teachers can interact with students in real time.
“It's not like taking a pre-recorded class. We get to know each of our dancers (and often their pets, too!), and our dancers get to know each other. We work hard to create a community atmosphere,” said Ms Hadley.
Linda Lewis with her 'barre'Linda Lewis
The hour-long class starts with warm-ups and barre work, which includes classic ballet steps such as plié, battement tendu, rond de jambe and grand battement.
Some of the students have their own barres, while others use whatever is at hand – often the back of the sofa.
“You can do as much or as little as you can manage, for example a full plié or a demi-plié. You can choose,” said Ms Souffi. “It’s a non-judgemental environment.”
Instead of pirouettes and leaps, which could cause strain for older dancers, the group explores a piece from a famous ballet each term. Students have learned dances from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.
Inclusive ballet
Linda Lewis, a pilates instructor in Dordogne and originally from London, took up ballet online because she wanted to start a physical activity purely for fun.
“Like many women, it’s something I wish I could have done when I was a child but I didn’t have the chance,” she said.
“There is something liberating in learning how to move with the music.”
She immediately appreciated the social aspect of the classes.
“It’s fun, logging in to do the ballet class every week, chatting for a few minutes with the others, and it motivates you to want to keep doing it.”
Ms Hadley organises regular social events for the students, including Q&As with insiders from the ballet world, from dancers to costume designers.
A big draw of the class for students is the bespoke nature of the exercise.
“I provide lots of options so that dancers can enjoy taking the class at a level best suited for them,” said Ms Hadley.
“We have dancers with limited mobility who take some of the class seated, some with joint replacements, degenerative conditions, waiting for surgery, post-surgery, going through cancer treatments, and long-term health conditions. Participants can adapt the class according to how they feel on that day.”
Ms Lewis was attracted by this focus on the needs of over-55s.
“As an older adult – I’m 67 – there are certain things that, if I were doing dance classes with younger people, I’d probably think: ‘Oh my knees aren’t up to that.’”
Denise Souffi found an instant dance communityDenise Souffi
Dancing towards better health
She has noticed a number of health benefits from ballet that she does not get from other exercise.
“Most of us get stuck in normal patterns of movement in our everyday lives and ballet is taking us out of that and encouraging people to move in different ways. It is also helping with balance and core stability.”
Both Ms Lewis and Ms Souffi note that ballet has brought them mental, as well as physical, benefits.
“When I do my own workouts, I push myself working on strength and ballet is just absolute pleasure. I know that I’m developing new skills but I’m just doing it for me,” Ms Lewis said.
Doing the classes online has made what could have been a daunting prospect much more comfortable and accessible.
“The fact we’re doing it on Zoom means you don’t feel embarrassed if you’re messing up the footwork – I would probably feel different if I was in a room with other people,” said Ms Lewis.
For many students, the Silver Swans have helped them learn that age should be no barrier to trying new things.
“It’s showing people that growing older should be enriching, not about saying ‘I can’t do things’ but looking at all the things I can do,” said Ms Lewis.
“Everyone is welcome in our Silver Swans,” said Ms Hadley. ”There’s nothing to lose, but so much that can be gained, from physical health benefits, mental health benefits and friendships from across the world.”
Find out more about the Silver Swans and how to join an online class here.
