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Contemporary Dance Workshop for Over-60s: Floating Flowers

Contemporary Dance Workshop for Over-60s: Floating Flowers — video by Sadler's Wells Play · 32:06

Video by Sadler's Wells on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Po-Cheng Tsai, artistic director of Taiwan's B.Dance, leads over-60s through a body-wave warm-up with breath, arm swings and pliés, then teaches a fluid combination from his piece Floating Flowers, inspired by Taiwanese water lanterns. Join in standing or seated.

  • 32 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • No equipment
  • Contemporary

Good forHealthy ageingDancing for fun

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Step by step 14

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Body waves: feet apart, roll down from the head, then wave back up through the chest and stomach. 1:49
  2. Body waves turned to the right, then to the left. 3:10
  3. Add the arms and the breath: breathe out going down, in coming up. 4:49
  4. Swing the arms and squat, reaching out to each side and rolling the arms, then faster. 6:55
  5. Finish the warm-up in a plié, breathing deeply as the arms open. 9:37
  6. Floating Flowers: rise, open the arms and curve the back, then sway the spine right and left. 11:35
  7. Add head turns, then a pose, and let the arms flow down like water. 12:38
  8. Squat to the side, then move the chest back and forward as the arms rise like a flower. 14:55
  9. Review the first half: the flowing arms, the fish and a held pose. 16:50
  10. Part two: a long circle, a sharing gesture, a body wave, a half circle and an 'attack'. 19:42
  11. Kung fu position, bounce through the body, the fish again, then a final pose of your own. 21:35
  12. Put the whole combination together from the beginning. 24:03
  13. Dance it to the music. 26:37
  14. Dance it once more with his company of over-60s dancers. 29:10

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Breathe out as you roll down and in as you wave back up
  • Imagine water inside your body flowing through your spine
  • Keep a chair nearby, rest when you need to and listen to your body

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 2 takes load

  • Hips takes loadsquats in a wide second position, pliés
  • Knees takes loadarm-swing squats, pliés, side squats
  • Shoulders movesarm swings, flowing arms
  • Upper back moveschest waves, curving the back
  • Lower back movesrolling down and body waves
  • Rounding or twisting the back. With osteoporosis or a back problem, move smoothly and within comfort, and ask a physio which suit you.

Easier option from the coach: Join in seated, and rest on a chair when needed

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Sadler's Wells; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety