Uplifted by Dancing Community: From Physical Activity to Well-Being.

The aim of the article is to present the dancing experience of older adult women who increase their well-being through dancing. That aim was realized through conducting qualitative research in accordance with COREQ among the members of a dance group "Gracje" from Wroclaw. In the article, we show that senior women dance as a form of physical activity in the pursuit of health, enabling them to maintain the level of physical ability that allows them to fully enjoy different aspects of life. Thus, health is not only attempting to avoid illnesses, but, first of all, experiencing well-being, i.e., satisfaction with life in its physical, mental (cognitive) and social aspects. That satisfaction touches, in particular, such spheres as acceptance of an aging body, a need for personal growth and entering into new social relationships. Increasing that sense of satisfaction and agency (subjectivity) in each of those spheres as a consequence of organized dancing activity should be treated as one of the most important factors responsible for improving the quality of life of older adult women.

Senior Women's Dance: From Pleasure to Emancipation.

The aim of this paper is to capture older adult women's experience of dance. To this purpose, a qualitative research study was carried out with members of the 'Gracje' dance group. The study used Jürgen Habermas's theory of communicative action as its theoretical underpinnings. The focus was on the models of action and validity claims expressed in language (narrative). In this theoretical framework, dancing activity has been shown as promoting not only physical health and mental wellbeing but also social involvement. Our study has found that, in and through dance, the older adults primarily realised their claims to pleasure, attractiveness, health and emancipation. This has considerably improved their bodily capacity and increased their self-esteem. However, what the older adults themselves find most important is that the realisation of these claims beneficially affects their interactions in family and neighbourly communities and facilitates their engagement in volunteer activities, helping people at risk of exclusion due to age and/or disability.