Village News
Sass, sneakers and sensible shoes: dancing through the generations!
07 August 2025
If you happened to pass by Orion Point’s activities room recently, you might have thought you’d stepped into a dance studio.
As the rhythm of Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust,’ filled the air, residents elbow-jabbed, slid, and grapevined their way through a hip-hop dance class – led not by professionals, but by a spirited group of Year 10 and 11 students from Hobsonville Point Secondary School.
As part of their ‘service and project learning,’ where students choose community-focused initiatives that align with their passions, a group of enthusiastic teens brought their love of dance into the village.
Students bring along their choreographed routines, incorporating dance styles from jazz and disco to classical and, most recently, hip hop. The result? A delightful mix of flapper-style jazz hands, side slides, grapevines, and a whole lot of laughter.
“It’s been lots of fun working with the residents,” said student Ella Colligan (14). “I wasn’t expecting them to be so quick and so good! They have better rhythm than we thought.”
Haozhan Zhan (14) added, “We’ve learned that you can have fun at any age. They just laugh at their mistakes rather than get stressed.”
Left to right: Back row: Sharon Statham, Barbara Christmas, Kay Stevenson, Dee Brooker, Colleen Delamere Front row: David Joshua De Castro, Haozhen Zhan, Alyssa Wroblenski and Ella Colligan
One resident on the dance floor is Kay Stevenson, who moved into the village eight months ago after 55 years living in Mt Albert. “We’ve made so many friends here and we’re always busy.” Kay has a lifelong love of dance, with childhood training in ballet and tap.
“I signed up because it sounded fun, and I love exercise,” she said. “Until eight years ago I was part of a senior dance group called Forever Young. We performed annual concerts, initially at the Mercury Theatre and then SkyCity Theatre, so this was a chance to get back to something I’ve always loved.”
Kay admitted she was surprised the students wanted to teach at the village. “Their youth means they’re much quicker than us. But it was a great opportunity to show them that at our age, you don’t have to sit around with a blanket over your knees!”
She recalled the 70s-themed Stayin’ Alive class as a favourite. “Hip hop wasn’t something I thought I’d enjoy, but it turns out I did! And I was especially surprised by the young boys – they were just so good.”
The programme has become a true highlight for many. As Haozhan noted, “the residents danced together and helped each other out. I thought that was really cool.”
Kay adds: “It’s been great fun for us and a wonderful learning experience for the students. I’d encourage anyone to give it a go. Movement is so good for you, and when it’s set to music, it’s even better!”