Mindful Movement, Somatic Imagery & Beautiful Music for Joyful Longevity
What if dance could help you move with greater ease, enjoy beautiful music and connect with others—without complicated steps or high-impact exercise?
Celebrate Dance offers a unique approach designed especially for adults who wish to maintain mobility, balance and confidence while experiencing the pleasure of dance. Rather than focusing on technical footwork, we begin with the most natural movement of all: walking.
Drawing inspiration from the elegant floor patterns of 17th-century Playford Dance, participants move through flowing pathways that develop coordination, memory and spatial awareness, while deepening sensitivity to the relationship between movement and musical phrasing.
At the heart of Celebrate Dance is the belief that movement begins from the body’s centre. I often describe it this way: the core is the engine; the hands and feet are simply the wheels. By bringing awareness to alignment, breath and natural movement, participants discover a more balanced, comfortable and effortless way of moving.
Somatic imagery plays an important role in the classes. Gentle images—such as grounding through the pelvis while allowing the upper body to release upwards—can encourage greater length, balance and ease without strain or force. This mindful approach helps people become more aware of how they move and how they relate to the space around them.
The result is a dance experience that is accessible, engaging and enjoyable. We do not focus on what the body cannot do; we celebrate what it can do.
Participants often enjoy:
• Pleasure of moving to beautiful, uplifting music • Improved body awareness and confidence in movement • Support for balance, posture and mobility • Mental stimulation through pattern, memory and coordination • Social connection, shared laughter and community spirit • A welcoming environment suitable for a wide range of abilities
These qualities make the approach particularly suitable for older adults. It remains an intellectually and artistically engaging form of dance while being highly accessible. Because the classes are entirely walking-based, there is little impact on the knees, hips and ankles, allowing participants to enjoy movement, music and social connection without the demands of complex footwork or high-impact activity.
About Maureen Gordon
Maureen Gordon has spent more than fifty years teaching dance. She holds the Advanced Teachers Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance and has studied Playford Dance, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Pilates Technique and somatic movement practices. Throughout her career, she has developed a holistic, centre-led approach that brings together movement, music and body awareness.
Now based in Eastbourne, Maureen founded Celebrate Dance to help people of all ages—and particularly to those who want to continue experiencing the pleasure of dance and music as they grow older and rediscover the dancer within.
Maureen currently holds fortnightly classes in Eastbourne on Monday mornings at Meads Hall, corner of Meads Road and Meads Street, and St Saviours Church Hall, corner of South Street and Spencer Road.
For further class information and bookings contact: Email: celebratedance88@gmail.com Mobile: 07776 180903