COLLINGWOOD – Seniors will have a chance to experience some Irish culture on a weekly basis starting Friday.

The Celtic Academy of Canada will be hosting “Creative Ceili Movement For Senior Adults” classes Friday mornings from 10:30 a.m. until noon at the Collingwood Leisure Time Club.

The program started as a result of a Collingwood Culture Days event, where about 20 seniors participated in a ceili dance class at the club on Minnesota Street and eight were selected for awards.

“In the community, seniors are the people that we need to be targeting and paying a little more attention to them,” said Mary Fowley, the Celtic Academy of Canada dance instructor for the region.

“They have so much to offer and I feel they are kind of forgotten in a lot of areas, especially when it comes to the fitness aspect, and if you can keep them mobile you won't have the prevalence of falls and them being in wheelchairs.”

Their website states the dance “increases and maintains strength, co-ordination, balance, and flexibility. Participants are guided through dance movements which enhance physical and cognitive functioning, agility and gait.”

Benefits are listed as improved lower-body bone mineral content and muscle power.

Fowley said she became interested in helping seniors become more active when she studied nursing more than 25 years ago. Also, while living in Ireland she studied geriatric fitness and ran healthy active life-style programs with seniors.

She said the program is also “ plugging away at the arts and culture aspect because it's all movements and fitness that are brought from Ireland.”

It was the music which really got the seniors going during the Culture Days event, said Fowley, adding that one lady was dancing in the halls before the class started when she heard the music playing.

Fowley said the pace of the tranquil Irish music creates a particularly good speed for the seniors.

The courses are open to any senior in the community. More information can be found at www.celticacademy.ca.