MVSKOKE RESERVATION – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Health Department began its Dance for Life program with Julie Bryant (Mvskoke). Classes are free and held at three Indian Community Centers across the reservation. This is open to all MCN Tribal and Health Staff, MCN community elders, and walking program participants. These sessions will run through the end of May.
Class sessions will be held at Weleetka Indian Community Center, Glenpool Indian Community Center, and Twin Hills Indian Community Center.
“You can come as many times as you want, it’s free, and basically we’re focusing on aerobics and fun. You don’t have to be a dancer, you don’t have to have a right foot and a left foot, you can have two left feet, as people say, you’re fine in our class,” Bryant said. Bryant explained that their main goal is to get people moving while having fun.
She believes these classes are beneficial for citizens because they will focus on aerobics, flexibility, and strength training. People of all ages can do these exercises.
“It’s all fitness levels because we have some people who can only stay on their feet for a certain length of time or even exercise out of the chair,” Bryant said. “We have to have movement, we have to have functional movement. By that I mean, being able to reach down and pick something off the floor, being able to put something on the shelf, being able to be as ambient as we can be our entire lives.”
She shared that the classes have been well attended, and some participants have lost weight and become more flexible. “We just have a lot of fun, because we want everybody to enjoy themselves while they’re there. I feel like it’s a really important thing for everybody to have a level of fitness, and well all can improve,” Bryant explained.
Bryant has taught dance for over 60 years and has been a member of the American Council of Exercise for 35 years. She’s also taught at the MCN Health Diabetes Summits for the past 9 years. She has taught all types of aerobic and fitness classes, and even did personal training.
“Dance and fitness have been my life forever; it’s just one of those things that just kind of happened. I started teaching dance before I ever left college, and when I went back for a Master’s degree in Physical Education at OSU (Oklahoma State University), I taught at Oklahoma State University and created some of their dance departments. Started teaching tap, ballet, and jazz,” Bryant said.
Bryant always had fun in past classes and enjoyed working with MCN Health on the dance classes. “It’s never been really a job; it’s just a part of my everyday life. These classes are more fun than anything because they want to be there,” Bryant explained.
Dance Class Session Dates:
Twin Hills Indian Community Center
Monday’s at 6:15 pm
Except on the last Monday of every month, class sessions will start at 5:30 pm.
Glenpool Indian Community Center
Tuesday and Thursdays from 6 pm
Weleetka Indian Community Center
Wednesday’s at 6 pm
Do I have to be a member of these community centers? I live in Broken Arrow but we don’t have Muscogee Creek community center here. I always see everyone having fun and wish we had one here.
From what we understand, no membership at the center is required and the classes are open to all MCN elders or walking program participants.