Albury senior Bev Grunow's sequence dances a hit with young and old

The 80-year-old has been running ballroom sequence dances in Albury since 2017, helping people stay active and find new connections.

It is not only the local senior community she is helping - all proceeds from her weekly dances on Mondays and monthly Saturday evening dances go to charity. She has raised about $70,000 for various causes - most of them local, to date.

Bev first took up dancing in 2002 after moving from Woomargama to Albury following the break down of her marriage.

She quickly became very passionate about her newfound hobby and sometimes found herself dancing up to five times a week.

"I was on my own, and there were a lot of ladies and gents on their own. It was just a really nice form of entertainment, socialising and meeting people," she said.

"That was why I came to Albury, it's a bigger place and I thought it would be easier to get around and meet people."

Bev made a lot of good friends through dancing and became so adept at it, people soon started asking if she would teach them.

Despite her protestations that she was not a dance teacher, people kept making the request, so the started a Monday dance at St Peter's Lutheran Church Hall in Lavington, with proceeds going to the Albury Prostate Cancer Group. However demand for the dance soon outgrew the hall's capacity and it was moved to Mirambeena Community Hall, where it remains to this day.

Bev would go on to start a monthly dance at the hall on Saturday evenings, with proceeds going to the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre.

Over the years, the funds from the Monday dance have supported numerous local charities, including charities supporting the homeless and people with PTSD, reStart and children's cancer charity Country Hope.

Bev said being charitable runs in her family - she grew up on a farm and her parents would often give meat and milk to families that could not afford them.

"When you look around and see people, especially the homeless, most of the people who are in that situation, it's not through their own doing," she said.

"A lot of people had health problems, marriage breakdowns, most people were forced into things like that through things beyond their control.

"I just think it's nice there are people out there who are willing to give."

It's not just the money that is helping others, Bev said the dances are an invaluable source of connection for a lot of regulars and help to keep people active and healthy.

"We use every part of our body. Dancing people who have a knee replacement are back on the dance floor in no time, because they're so agile and fit," she said.

"We have one 99-year-old man who still lives alone, still cooks for himself, still drives, has two cars - to still be on the dancefloor at that stage and living alone, it's a great accomplishment."

And it is not just seniors who are reaping rewards from the dances, they have also become a source of intergenerational bonding. Bev said a young group of 18 to 20-year-olds have recently started attending Saturday evening dances.

"They've come from beautiful families and after each dance is over, they always send a text message saying how lovely it was to be welcomed," she said.

Other regulars travel from as far away as Melbourne for the Saturday night dances. Bev attributes the dances' popularity to the welcoming environment that is promoted.

"I just like them to have a lovely night. I make the supper and everything as well. I just think it's nice seeing everyone being happy and smiling on the dance floor."

She encourages anyone in the area who is looking for a way to stay active and make new social connections to come along to a dance and give it a try.

"Sometimes people just need a little push. It's really hard for the first time going somewhere, people just need that little push to get them there."

Monday dances take place from 3.30pm-6pm weekly and entry is $5. Saturday dances take place from 7-10.30pm on the fourth Saturday of each month and entry is $8 plus $2 for a raffle ticket.

For more information visit the group's Facebook page by clicking here.