Sponsored by the Campbell Adult Center, the TGIF Evening Line Dance on Fridays and the Line Dance Social on Tuesdays give adults 55 and older a chance to chat with friends, listen to music and dance, dance, dance.

"It's a wonderful program," said Donna Rice, Campbell Community Center recreation coordinator.

People come to the line dance socials for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons is that they simply like to dance.

"I just love to dance," said Campbell resident Merry Aragaki, 65. "I like fast country music and socializing."

The Friday event is the younger of the two programs and runs for three hours—from 7 to 10 p.m.—with no breaks. People can dance the night away and go through about 50 songs. It will be celebrating its one-year anniversary in January.

Others come to the event because it offers a social outlet. And come rain or shine, it's on their calendar.

"It's just a wonderful venue for all these folks to get together," said line dance instructor Shirley Keller.

The socials first started about five years ago, Rice said, with the Tuesday afternoon event. The Tuesday social is a little less intense and runs from 2 to 4 p.m., with a 15-minute break at 3 p.m., when cookies and punch are served.

Keller, 59, also acts as the DJ for the Tuesday social, where she'll play about 30 songs.

"It's a good, social way to meet a lot of people," said Cecile Asch, 72. "And the price is right."

Asch, a Campbell resident, has been dancing for about six years and attends the Tuesday socials regularly.

Attendance varies with the season and the weather. But despite the stormy weather on Dec. 13, more than 50 people attended the evening social, and the afternoon social on Dec. 17 had more than 30 participants.

Keller, who has been the DJ for the socials for four years, said sometimes the room gets a little crowded. At one social, she recalled, 110 people participated, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

Many of the participants also said line dancing is a great way to exercise.

"A lot of people see line dancing as a way to keep up their fitness," Rice said.

Indeed, Campbell resident Lillian Kanzaki can attest to that. The 67-year-old said she's been much more energetic since she began line dancing three years ago.

"It's good exercise," said Kanzaki while waiting for Keller to play a song she was familiar with. "It's a nice fellowship with good people."

Asch agreed. "I like to dance, and I don't need a partner. It's healthy."

There are also other benefits to line dancing, as participants learn the basic steps and more complicated moves. Senior citizens usually have problems with their balance, Keller said, and dancing helps improve their coordination.

"Dance helps immensely with balance," Keller said. "It helps the mind, and the convoluted patterns of the dances keep the synapses moving."

Keller will gladly demonstrate any of the dance steps at the Tuesday social, but these socials are not designed as instructional dance classes.

"There's nothing they could request that I don't have," Keller said proudly.

Her collection of songs includes 2,300 MP3s.

Dancers request music for the next month's social, and Keller arranges the playlist. The Friday socials have always been an all-request event, and Tuesdays have recently changed to the same format.

The line dance social used to be called a country & western line dance, but that has changed, Keller said. Some guests expected to hear only country & western music and those who wanted different dance music didn't attend.

Most of the people who go to the evening or afternoon social take classes at the community center with Keller.

Campbell resident Clara Affonso, 59, assists Keller with the introductory dance classes.

"I really like to dance," Affonso said.

She enjoys the music and has many friends in the dance classes.

Besides energizing seniors, the line dance socials also provide a network for the students, many of whom are widows.

"They care about each other," Rice said. "They'll call if someone doesn't show up for a few weeks."

The socials also offer those who live alone or retired something to do.

"I didn't become interested until I retired from work," Kanzaki said.

Though adults range in age from 55 to 90, the age requirement will be lowered to 50 in February.

"I love line dancing," said 90-year-old Elna Rodgers. "I like all the dances, but I don't know all of them."

The classes will begin again in January, and students have a choice of five levels: introductory, beginner, intermediate one, intermediate two and advanced.

But beginners are welcome at the line dance social, Keller said. Keller has dances for beginners and for those who can heat up the dance floor.

Besides the social networking and the health benefits, Affonso said there is one more reason why local residents should come: "It's just a lot of fun."

For more information on line dancing lessons or the line dance social, call the Campbell Adult Center at 408.866.2146.