SnapShots Today

This section features current visual and written representations of Australians over 50. Each month seniors.gov.au will have a different representation of Australians over 50, either in the media or one sent in by you. If you would like to submit an image for 'Today', please email us at snapshots@seniors.gov.au. The focus of 'SnapShots Today' is to promote positive images and active lifestyles of Australians over 50.

Ann Tregenza

Ann Tregenza is a dancer—amongst other things.

For twenty years she’s been a dance instructor for people over 50, teaching folk dances as a form of adaptive movement therapy. Her repertoire includes folk dances from many cultures, including Greek, Jewish, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Swiss, Russian, Bolivian, English and Scottish. The groups she’s taught are mostly women, and include people who are socially disadvantaged, mildly handicapped, migrants and people who just enjoy music and dancing. She’s given talks and demonstrations of dances to fitness instructors around the state, and to a government department. Copies of Fun Fit Folk, a video about folk dance she made with the assistance of two honours students from the University of South Australia, have been requested by people in several states.

In 2005, Anne was nominated for the South Australian Adult Learners’ Week Award of Outstanding Tutor for her contributions to the community.

Ann became interested in the health and social benefits of folk dancing when travelling to other countries. After living for four years in Greece and visiting the UK, Israel, India and other European countries, she was inspired by watching as “men and women together, or just men or just women, without the need for partners, joined hands in lines and circles, smiling and happy in united movement to the vibrant music of their cultures”. After studying dance, Ann developed a repertoire of international dances that she began to teach at a local community centre.

For thirteen years, Ann has been a homestay hostess—someone who adult international students can stay with when they come to Australia. Sometimes her homestay students join in with the folk dance group, sharing their own dance cultures.

In addition to folk dancing, Ann is a physiotherapist and holds a Masters Degree in Health Science (gerontology: the study of ageing)—graduating at age 64—and has won numerous awards for her stories and articles, which have appeared in anthologies, magazines and have been read on-air on ABC radio. She’s also written several books, including Now I’m 64 & Life is Great, a journal of her life experiences; Orestes: from Greece to Australia, the story of a young Greek man who migrates to Australia, inspired by her own visits to Greece; Diary of Drought, but no drought in the heart – eight months in the life of a graziers wife, and Shapes of Meaning – a collection of published and prize winning poetry.

You can find Ann—nearly 73—involved in the dance groups at the Glenelg Community Club, Glenelg Community Centre, and the North Adelaide Community Centre.