Newton Senior Center Shut Amid Pandemic, So Seniors Moving Online

NEWTON, MA — Every weekday at 10:30 a.m., they start showing up: smiling faces with graying or white hair, peering into their computers from their kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms across Newton, swaying to music.

Some blow kisses, others wave, nearly all are smiling. By 11 a.m., more than 100 are logged in, and about half have their cameras turned on. And when the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra start drifting out of the computer, that's their cue: In unison, a swing of the arm to the right, a swing of the arm to the left, and the Zumba class has started.

The class — and its smiley instructor, with her mop of silver hair held in check by a headband as she bounces around her basement — has become a bright spot amid an otherwise dreary pandemic for more than 100 seniors who log in for the class.

Shortly after the pandemic hit in March, Newton's senior center was among the first to shutter. No one wanted to inadvertently put the residents at risk. It meant the dozens of classes — from photography to fitness to adult education — came to a halt, and the once-very-active seniors across the city holed up in their homes.

It was demoralizing for many of them, said Newton Senior Center program director Ilana Seidmann.

"We all thought it was going to be temporary," Seidmann said. "This is a very, very difficult moment in time for seniors. The pandemic has been extraordinarily difficult for senior citizens — emotionally, mentally, physically — because there are not as many opportunities to get out. And some are really afraid to go outside."

So the center decided to give something a try.

One of their most popular classes was a Zumba Gold class, a version of the Latin music-inspired dance workout class catered to senior citizens. The class was one of the most popular before the pandemic, often filling a room, complete with participants standing in the hallway. Seidmann estimates between 40 and 60 people would show up to the class, which was held three times a week.

She figured they'd try offering the class on the online platform Zoom and lend a hand to anyone who needed to walk through how to set that up on their computers.

She wasn't sure if it would work. Most of the center's clientele were not comfortable on Zoom, she said. But once the technical glitches were worked through, the first class was such a success that participants not only asked for more, they asked for it every day.

And so it went.

"It’s made a real difference in my life during this uncertain time," said Debbie Perry, who attends regularly. "You can’t get out, and you don’t want to be in a group where there's a lot of people where it’s dangerous, and yet [here] you can see other people."

Perry and Seidmann say the class fosters a sense of community. The chit-chat during the half an hour before and after the class feels full of love and fills a hole that was left when the center closed.

"This provides the opportunity for seniors to keep moving, which is extremely important as it helps with sadness and depression and provides connection, which is also extraordinarily important," Seidmann said. "But the social connections are just as important as what people are learning and doing. And I think it’s going to become even more important during the winter."

Especially for people who live alone.

The instructor, Ketty Rosenfield, who has taught the class for the past four years, is a large part of what makes the class special.

"Her personality, she’s full of enthusiasm," Perry said. "People come because they enjoy her."

Participants range in age; the oldest is a woman who just celebrated her 95th birthday. Rosenfield led the class in singing her "Happy Birthday." She also makes a point of greeting people as she sees them log in.

"I just think she’s terrific," Perry said. "She’s just so energizing and warm and appropriate — and it’s really very good exercise. She makes it fun."

Seidmann said the class was the gateway to being able to offer other types of classes online, which they now do. But Zumba Gold is by far the most popular still, with an average of about 115 people logging in each day. And often, husbands will join their wives, so the actual number of people who participate is somewhat higher.

"That's really a shock," Rosenfield said. "I was just pleasantly surprised that there are so many people signing up pretty consistently."

And it's not just people from Newton anymore. Newton seniors invite their friends from all over the country and sometimes outside the country. During a recent class, a man and his wife updated the rest on the wildfires in California.

Rosenfield offers to help anyone who needs tech support before or after class, and she has helped talk through with students ways to adjust the moves to fit their own needs.

Everyone has their own goal; most of them just want to move — to stay healthy.

"But now it’s beyond that — it’s a fun party. It’s really a chance to see each other and exchange smiles and blow kisses," Rosenfield said. "In these days of forced isolation for our seniors, they feel like dancing gives the heart a great boost. They can do it from their home, they can sit down and do it. It’s a great way to have a joy and be together."

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .