Day of Dance to be a learning experience

One local facility understands the importance of women taking a proactive approach to not only their health care, but also the health care of their families.

In conjunction with the Spirit of Women campaign, Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, will be hosting a Day of Dance from 11 a.m. to 3. p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23. The Day of Dance, which is a national women's health and wellness event, will promote the cardiovascular benefits of dance.

Day of Dance participants are welcome to come and go as they please. Women who wish to participate in this event are not required to participate in the dancing. Women may either observe the dances or choose to take part in the dances. According to Mercy Health Center Health for Life Director Tina Rockhold, this is a no-partners-required event for women.

The day's events will include several different dance classes going on at the same time. Women will have access to six different lesson sessions. During each session time slot, seven different dance classes will be available for women to choose from.

The instructors will include several area residents. Teaching Latin Lean will be Allen County Community College physical education instructor Roger Campbell. Local resident Aileen Pollack, who has taught Yoga for years, will be leading the Yoga sessions. Natalie Magee, who is currently seeking a college degree in dance, will teach those present during the Stage sessions. Nevada, Mo. dance instructor Jana Vaughn will lead those present in Ballroom dancing. Also from Nevada, Mo., Shannon Pate will teach the clogging sessions. Uniontown resident Clair George will instruct those who wish to participate in country line dancing. Mercy Health Center Health for Life personal trainer Rich Wallace will guide event attendees through a low-impact routine. An instructor from Girard, Johnna Flack, will teach the Zumba classes. Several of the Fort Scott High School Dance Team members will take attendees through a Hip Hop routine. Ballet will be taught by local dance instructor Susan Stern, and Hip Hop Abs will be taught by Fort Scott resident Karen Reinbolt. The sessions will begin at 12:15 p.m., with the final session beginning at 2:45 p.m.

According to Mercy Health Center Marketing and Development Director Carla Bryant Farmer, heart disease is the number one killer of women. Day of Dance is designed to educate women about the dangers and symptoms of heart disease. In addition, women will learn to take steps that will decrease the likelihood that they will suffer from a heart-related condition.

First Lady Laura Bush also said that women's heart health is an important educational topic, according to The White House Web site, www.whitehouse.gov.

"Many people are surprised to learn that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Although heart disease deaths have been decreasing, more than 650,000 Americans die of the condition, and approximately half of them are women. Less than half of all women are aware of the risks associated with not taking preventive action against this disease. Mrs. Bush serves as ambassador for The Heart Truth campaign and its Red Dress Project to raise women's awareness and encourage them to take action," the Web site said.

Day of Dance will help more women become educated about heart health. Since the signs of heart disease in women are different than the signs of heart disease in men, Day of Dance will help women identify any signs that they may have by hosting Dr. Stephanie Lawhorn, a cardiologist for Cardiovascular Consultants, P.C., as a guest speaker. After Lawhorn speaks, audience members will be given a chance to ask her questions that they may have regarding heart health. In addition, starting at 12:15 p.m. and continuing until the close of the event, Mercy will be offering several different health screenings to women free of charge. Some of the screenings that will be offered will include bones density screening, cholesterol screening and glucose screening. In addition to these screenings, women can also be tested to see what their risks are of developing peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which involves hardening of the arteries, according to the Day of Dance Web site, www.dayofdance.org.

"Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries causes a build-up of plaque in the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues of the body. As these plaques worsen, they reduce essential blood flow to the limbs and can even cause complete blockages of the arteries," the Day of Dance Web site information said.

A feature event for the day, will be Mercy Health Center's own Dancing with the Stars. Three area couples, who have been practicing their dance steps with dance instructor Jana Vaughn, will perform for the crowd. The Dancing with the Stars competitors will include the Rev. Steve and Carol MacArthur, Berry and Mindy Jones and Frank and Cheryl Adamson, owners of the Courtland Hotel and Day Spa. According to Farmer, the winners of the event will be determined by the amount of applause each couple receives.

Also at the event, attendees will have access to heart healthy snacks and beverages free of charge, in addition up to 500 guests will receive a pedometer, courtesy of State Farm Insurance Company. The pedometers are complete with a compact disk and booklet guiding the recipients through the 50 Million Pound Challenge, which is a program distributed by State Farm Insurance company to help educate people about weight loss and healthier lifestyles. Also, prize drawings will be conducted throughout the event. The event will also include a Spirit of Women membership drive.