Moving her body in perfect rhythm with the music, San Jose high school senior Aanya Gupta shares a gentle dance routine with a group of seniors, then patiently waits for them to mirror her movements.
Her demonstration is a part of the Dancing Hearts Project, a student-led nonprofit in which middle- and high-schoolers lead in-person dance classes with seniors around the Bay Area.
Aanya, 17, a student at Basis Independent Silicon Valley, a private school in San Jose, founded Dancing Hearts in 2024 to share her love of the art form and build camaraderie in her community.
As a child, she would dance around the room with her four grandparents, teaching them simple Bollywood moves or swaying to the beat of the music.
“Dancing together was a really special memory,” she says. “I saw how it brightened their day. It was just a fun time, there was such laughter and joy.”
When her grandparents’ friends visited, Gupta would rush to deliver impromptu performances. They smiled, laughed in delight and even sang along. These experiences made Gupta realize how therapeutic dancing could be for both teens and older people.
Studies reveal that dance offers significant physical and mental benefits for older adults. Dancing in any style for a few hours a week can improve balance and strength, enhance memory and cognitive functions and boost moods.
At Dancing Hearts, student volunteers create low-impact routines set to music in varied styles: Latin, pop, Bollywood and disco. Each week, Gupta and volunteers travel to three or four local senior centers to lead a class. Some South Bay regulars include the Saratoga Retirement Community and Priya Living in Santa Clara.
“It’s really heartwarming to see,” Gupta says. “After a few weeks and a few sessions (the seniors) will have a favorite song or dance move.”
Since 2024, the Dancing Hearts team of more than 25 volunteers has connected with more than 1,000 seniors. Dancing Hearts, which operates in more than 46 local centers including assisted living and memory care facilities, has been recognized by South Bay leaders including U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, state Sen. Dave Cortese and Assemblymember Alex Lee.
Gupta plans to keep the project and its momentum going, even if her future academic endeavors take her outside of the Bay Area.
“I hope to bring it wherever I go to college,” she says. “I want to keep growing it.”
Residents of Morning Star Senior Living in West San Jose are among those who enjoy and appreciate Dancing Heart’s efforts.
Brandy Borrego, life enrichment director at the facility, says older adults with lower cognitive abilities particularly benefit from Gupta’s classes, calling them a “huge mood booster for the memory care community.”
She adds, “The Dancing Hearts Project is a reminder of how deeply music and movement bring joy even when memory fades.”
For more information or to request a session, visit dancingheartsproject.org.