Musicking and Line Dancing: A case study of a Victorian community group

Musicking occurs in relationships where people are taking part in musical performance which may incorporate listening, composing and dancing. Meaning is made within musicking relationships. This research explores the meaning and practices fostered in a community line dancing class Dancercise2Health, offered at the U3A Waverley, Melbourne. The study is one of a number of studies that comprise a larger collaborative research project by Deakin University and Monash University, begun in 2016, Music, the Arts and Positive Ageing. In Australia and in many parts of the world, older people participate in line dancing for a variety of reasons. In 2017 this qualitative case study gathered data via an individual telephone interview with the instructor of the group, observation of a class, and two focus group interviews containing twenty-five class members in total. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis that is reported thematically under the broad headings of Dance and music teaching and learning, Well-being, and Social connection. The findings show that participation offers older people opportunities for dance and music engagement, positive ageing, health and well-being, and social connection.