NORWICH — The Norwich Dance Club is returning after a four-year hiatus with free dance classes on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Guernsey Memorial Library Community Room.

The Norwich Dance Club is a nonprofit group originally formed in 2007 by local dancer Martha Ryan, and held dance classes nearly every day of the week in the "Renaissance Building" in downtown Norwich. Unfortunately, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the group could no longer meet.

Now, the club is back and getting ready to begin hosting classes at Guernsey. The hour-long classes are open to adults of all ages, with the first one scheduled for Wednesday, January 8.

"Every month we pick a dance theme, because it's also meant to be a cultural experience," Ryan explained. "So every month we pick one dance and we talk about the origin of the dance, some of the stories of how the dance started, and then we practice some steps, and we add them to the group of steps and dances we do every month."

Individuals who attend the classes should bring water bottles and wear comfortable clothing and either ballet or dance shoes. Ryan said open-toed sandals and sneakers will not be allowed, as they increase the risk of falls and injury while dancing.

She said the class is suitable for beginners as it involves simple steps and movements, and their focus is not on being perfect dancers, but having fun while staying active.

"We laugh a lot. I think we laugh just as much as we dance, because we keep it very light, very humorous," Ryan said. "Most of them are Latin dances. They get an idea of the cultural part of it and then we learn the steps. Very simple steps, we don’t do any acrobatics."

"If you like dancing, all you need is just the desire to enjoy music. Music is so therapeutic, and Latin dance is so jumpy and happy," she added. "I think we come with the weight of the world on our shoulders, and we walk out light like a feather."

Additionally, Ryan said the dances will not be partnered, and instead everyone will be dancing solo.

"They can solo and follow our position and we don’t have any mirrors," she said. "That is so cool. No mirrors in the library, so nobody sees themselves dancing, I don’t look at them, and nobody gets called on. Everyone is allowed to make 22 mistakes in one night."

She encourages anyone interested to join them at the library for a night of fun, while reaping the benefits of dance.

"It’s a low-impact kind of movement. It helps the memory, you’re counting steps, and you’re trying to keep up with a routine," she explained. "But it’s also the music, and the movements of it are mostly as you would do kind of a standing yoga, because you’re moving, and your arms stretching down, and your core is getting stronger."

Ryan said she, and many other members of the Norwich Dance Club, are extremely grateful to the Guernsey Memorial Library Board of Directors who are loaning the use of the Community Room every month, which allows them to provide the classes for free.

"The excitement when we started calling some of our members to tell them that we were back and they heard it was going to be at the library and it was going to be for free, oh my God, you would think I gave them a Christmas gift," Ryan said.

"We are incredibly grateful for the gift from the board of directors at the library who have given us this new home. Our heart is really filled with gratitude," she continued. "I am very grateful. We will start with this and take it as far as we can, and enjoy this gift."