WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

Vinita Singh has brought the music of her native India to residents of several local senior communities to encourage residents to sway to the music of a different beat. 

A native of North India, Singh moved to Fort Worth, Texas, at the age of six, but has lived in several other areas of the country, and now resides in Winston-Salem. In 2017 she started dancing at home with her young child, moving to songs popular in Indian movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s, as a way to stay active. She thought that this form of gentle exercise could also be beneficial to seniors, so she started approaching senior communities, offering to lead their residents in this form of dance.

Today she teaches classes at Forsyth Court in Winston-Salem, Priddy Manor in King, and Kerner Ridge in Kernersville. Singh says that she has seen how dancing lifts people’s spirits. She begins the classes with a solo dance as she interprets the words of the songs through her movements and explains the meaning of the songs as she dances. She then leads the seniors through the movements, encouraging them through slow stretches and fluid moves. 

During a recent class at Forsyth Court, Feretia Sawyer mentioned that she has enjoyed the classes and that she sometimes dances standing up and other times sitting in a chair because of balance issues. She said, “I like the music and how she interprets the music. I find it motivating and energizing.”

Singh, who has also written a book of short stories for children, said she is pleased with the response she has received from older adults. She enjoys seeing them open up to moving to the music and bringing joy through her native music.

Singh says, “I feel movement in any way is important and I encourage people to do it for their health.”

For more information on the classes Singh teaches, email her at vinitasingh03@yahoo.com or call 336-419-9742.