INDIANAPOLIS – Some made it a girls’ day out. Others came alone. While some moms shared the experience with their daughters. More than 400 participants learned the latest dance moves and embraced new ways to get heart-healthy during St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers’ annual Spirit of Women Day of Dance.
The event was held Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Greenwood Municipal Airport to accommodate the largest crowd ever for the event, now in its fifth year.
Indiana First Lady Cheri Daniels kicked off day with a proclamation from Gov. Mitch Daniels, naming the day “Day of Dance.” Cheri Daniels and Marc Gerdisch, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon with the St. Francis Heart Center, teamed up with instructors from Dance Master Studio for the first dance – the Merengue. Soon after, participants filled the dance floor to learn dances such as the Merengue, belly dancing, hip hop, party dancing and the latest fitness craze, Zumba.
Although the event, which promotes exercise and healthy living, was targeted to women, men also came to join in on the fun. Along with the dancing, several participants won door prizes from local sponsors.
“This year, participants came out in record numbers to spend the day having fun and learning new ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Michele Wood, manager of St. Francis’ Spirit of Women program. “The great turnout shows more and more people are seeking ways to improve their overall health. What better way to have fun and stay fit than through dance?”
More than 100 hospitals across the country sponsored Day of Dance in February as part of Spirit of Women, an elite network of hospitals nationwide committed to caring for women. The goal of the event is to offer an exciting and interactive way to get people moving through exercise that is creative, expressive and fun.
Indiana First Lady Cheri Daniels kicked off day with a proclamation from Gov. Mitch Daniels, naming the day “Day of Dance.” Cheri Daniels and Marc Gerdisch, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon with the St. Francis Heart Center, teamed up with instructors from Dance Master Studio for the first dance – the Merengue. Soon after, participants filled the dance floor to learn dances such as the Merengue, belly dancing, hip hop, party dancing and the latest fitness craze, Zumba.
Although the event, which promotes exercise and healthy living, was targeted to women, men also came to join in on the fun. Along with the dancing, several participants won door prizes from local sponsors.
“This year, participants came out in record numbers to spend the day having fun and learning new ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Michele Wood, manager of St. Francis’ Spirit of Women program. “The great turnout shows more and more people are seeking ways to improve their overall health. What better way to have fun and stay fit than through dance?”
More than 100 hospitals across the country sponsored Day of Dance in February as part of Spirit of Women, an elite network of hospitals nationwide committed to caring for women. The goal of the event is to offer an exciting and interactive way to get people moving through exercise that is creative, expressive and fun.
