Poole’s older dancing community are gearing up for their second annual Grand New Year’s Tea Dance at Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts on January 21^st.
A team of staff and volunteers will be transforming the concert hall into a dancehall for the afternoon as a 7-piece dance band warm up for 2 hours of swinging sounds, including waltzes, tango, jive and jazz.
Roy and Betty Sheppard have been coming to the tea dance in Poole since they were set up by Borough of Poole Arts Development two years ago.
“It’s brilliant!” says Roy, now in his 80^th year, “It brings back the era of the late 1930’s.”
Betty agrees, “There’s a variety of styles: ballroom, Latin American and sequence dances, all with nostalgic music.”
Regular tea dances were set up at Lighthouse two years ago to encourage older residents to keep fit and active, while enjoying high quality live music. These events have proved hugely popular with experienced dancers and novices alike, and tickets frequently selling out.

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