Esther Schweins is completing training as a specialist dance teacher for seniors in Mainz

Actress Esther Schweins (56) is training to become a specialist dance teacher for seniors in Mainz. “Last year I had to take my mother to a Caritas care facility and saw chair dancing there for the first time,” Schweins told the German Press Agency. She is now familiar with chair and walker dancing as well as dance groups for people suffering from Parkinson's or dementia.

Because of the positive influence of dancing on health and the preventive effect on aging processes, Schweins advocates “dancing on prescription”. «The idea is not that wild at all. This already exists in Great Britain.”

Dancing has a positive effect in many ways

“Dancing combines movement, balance, coordination, memory training, music and social encounters,” explained Schweins. “It promotes cognitive performance, reduces the risk of falls, strengthens the heart and circulation and, of course, joie de vivre.” And: “It also works against another major health risk of our time, loneliness.”

Schweins emphasized that such a science-based prevention offer makes absolute sense in view of the impending profound demographic change. The proportion of seniors will continue to grow and the health and care systems are already reaching their limits.

Schweins becomes a specialist dance teacher for seniors

The General German Dance Teachers Association (ADTV) has already trained around 400 specialist dance teachers for seniors nationwide. There are also the programs of other dance club associations.

Schweins himself appeared in the 19th season of the RTL dance show “Let's Dance” in the spring - alongside professional dancer Massimo Sinató. She dedicated a tango to her mother Lieselotte for her 90th birthday.

After the fifth round she had to leave the TV dance floor on medical advice. Two ribs that were broken during training had shifted. She is now allowed to dance again during training at the Willius-Senzer dance school in Mainz.

Schweins had her breakthrough with “RTL Saturday Night”. She was most recently seen in the cinema documentary “What Have We Laughed”, which critically examines the image of women on German television in the 1990s and early 2000s.