Social Dance for Successful Aging:The Practice of Health, Happiness, and Social Inclusion Amongst Senior Citizens

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of social<br/>dancing for successful aging amongst senior citizens in three locales:<br/>in Blackpool (GB), around Belfast (NI), and in Sacramento (US). Social<br/>dancers are found to navigate an intense space in society, one of<br/>wellbeing accompanied by a beneficial sense of youthfulness. Besides<br/>such renewal and self-actualisation, findings also attest to the perceived<br/>social, psychological and health benefits of social dancing amongst senior<br/>citizens. They also articulate three different social dancing practices:<br/>social dance as tea dance (Sacramento), social dance as practice dance<br/>(Blackpool), social dance as motility (Belfast and environs).