By Danielle Kutchel
Migrant and refugees are being encouraged to get their groove on thanks to a new initiative that’s set to rock the south-eastern suburbs.
The initiative, called Dance Up! Australia, is funded by the Department of Health’s Driving Social Inclusion through Sport and Physical Activity grant and will be hosted by the Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre (SMRC).
The program will engage with newly-arrived migrants, refugees and women to encourage them to take part in physical activity through learning and sharing cultural dances.
It’s free, recreational and open to anyone from the targeted communities who is fit and able to take part.
Community cultural dance celebrations are expected to be held where possible.
Dancing has multiple benefits, according to Ramesh Kumar, chief executive officer of SMRC.
“We are living through a very interesting, difficult period and I don’t know how we will emerge at the end of it, but we want people to be healthy, active and be inspired, and we want to create social connectedness – we want them to make friends,” he said.
Initially, the plan was to hold the dances indoors in local gyms and other venues, however the Covid-19 lockdown and gathering restrictions have changed those plans and the dance program will be held online for now instead.
“We will remotely deliver and as soon as we are able to get into a physical space, we will do that,” Mr Kumar said.
“We have already made arrangements with several gyms and recreation centres and other venues. We are ready to go, but for the moment will do it digitally.”
For many participants, attendance at the dance sessions is likely to be their first experience of accessing local exercise facilities and it is hoped that this positive exposure to local gyms will facilitate some participants to engage with other exercise classes offered through these council facilities.
The program will be run across platforms people are familiar with, such as WhatsApp, and is expected to engage participants from across the City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey and Shire of Cardinia.
SMRC will invite participants from within refugee and migrant communities across the south-east, including partners within its networks.
“One of the worst impacts of Covid-19 is social isolation. People were already socially-isolated and we don’t want that to impact on people’s health and wellbeing, so we need to make sure we connect with clients,” Mr Kumar said.
The dances will also be culturally respectful, with separate activities for women who would like to dance without men.
Anyone interested in joining Dance Up! Australia can contact Sue Brown, general manager strategy and communications at SMRC, at susanb@smrc.org.au
