February 28, 2008 issue
Day of Dance Draws a Crowd
Story by Corinne Saunders
Saturday saw a healthy turnout of about 300 people attending the women’s heart health awareness Day of Dance event.
“It was very well-attended. We were very pleased with the turnout,” said Bryan Belcher, manager of Watauga County Healthy Carolinians.
The Day of Dance took place in Watauga Medical Center’s auditorium and was free and open to the public.
“It was a very high-energy day [and] very interactive,” said Candy Jones, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s community outreach education nurse.
Each performing dance group encouraged audience participation, and the fun environment was conducive to getting people up from their seats and onto the dance floor. Participants got their heart-pumping exercise for the day by learning some new dance moves.
“It sparked an interest in dance,” Jones said. “I think people are very hesitant to dance sometimes…but [audience members] realized they could dance.”
As the first performing group—ASU African Drum and Dance—entered the room, they immediately started pulling people from the audience to dance with them, Jones said.
“They started [Day of Dance] off with a bang,” she said.
One woman in the crowd happened to be a Polynesian dancer, and she offered to come to the event next year and teach some Polynesian dance moves, Jones added.
Day of Dance participants enjoyed being exposed to various forms of dance as well as free snacks and the opportunity to win various door prizes that were given away over the course of the event.
Two nurses spent the day giving free heart disease risk assessments and blood pressure checks to about 75 percent of attendees. They found 10 people at risk, and referred them to their doctors for a follow-up and for their recommendations, Jones said.
The Day of Dance was co-sponsored locally by The Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, which includes Watauga Medical System, Blowing Rock Hospital and Cannon Memorial Hospital, and Charter Media.
Over 150 hospitals across the nation in the Spirit of Women Hospital Network participated in the Day of Dance. Hospitals join this network to educate women about health issues and the steps they can take to maintain healthy lifestyles.
The Appalachian Regional Healthcare System sponsors free quarterly events that focus on different aspects of women’s health. In May, they will sponsor an event centered on stroke education.
For more information about the Day of Dance or other Appalachian Regional Healthcare System events, call 828-268-8960.
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