By Diane Wood and Beverley Doran
When COVID 19 emerged in Canada in 2020 two senior friends, Beverley Mattson and Beverley Doran, discussed ideas for activities they could offer the Burlington community during a time of stress, isolation, and uncertainty about the future. As both are dancers, it was decided that dancing was an activity that could be performed indoors or outdoors, in good weather or bad, sunshine, rain and even snow. Hence “Bev Squared” was conceived and they were set to go.
The challenge was to find a venue where participants could enjoy dancing, regardless of their experience. The goal was to be inclusive, fun and easy to do. While on a drive around Burlington, hunting for a suitable outdoor venue, Bev Mattson chose the Roly Bird Park parking lot as a perfect site. Sharing the idea with friends and neighbours validated their belief that there was a need for this type of activity. Now all that was required was music and choreography for dance routines that anyone could perform.
Bev Mattson got to work on choosing music and creating easy choreography. Since there were no electrical outlets at the park, she programmed music from her car. Now the two Bevs were ready to launch and so were the participants.
As the group evolved, a grant was received from the City of Burlington’s Love My Neighbourhood program, a year-round funding initiative designed to help residents form connections, strengthen relationships, and build support systems.
To say that this is a successful weekly event is an understatement. Groups of senior women come together, dance, and socialize. Passersby ask if they can join and want to know if there is a fee. They are told all are welcome and there are no fees required.
They now dance at the Labyrinth in Central Park, though during the winter months, the group will be gathering indoors at the new Orchard Community Hub. For more information about joining us, contact Bev Mattson at bmattson5@cogeco.ca or Beverley Doran at bevdoran@bellnet.ca.
Correction/update: author’s name was incorrectly stated, has now been amended to Diane Wood and Beverley Doran. We apologize for any inconvenience.
