Dublin, Ohio resident Kris Aldemir enrolled in Ohio State’s Program 60, a tuition-free, noncredit/non-degree program to connect Ohio residents age 60 or older to the university community, to take classes in the Department of Dance. Featured in The Lantern’s short documentary, “Age is Just a Number," Aldemir talked about how the experience has enriched her and other students’ lives. Ohio State Dance External Relations Coordinator Damian Bowerman recently sat down with Aldemir to learn more about her story.
Bowerman: Kris, happily, universities in the country are seeing an increase in the number of non-traditional students taking classes for a variety of life fulfilling reasons. How did you hear about Program 60 at Ohio State and what prompted you to enroll in dance classes in the Department of Dance?
Aldemir: I was sent by my medical doctor. My doctor is wonderful. She looked at me and she said you need to learn how to balance and to develop your core because you'll fall and your bones will shatter because of such low density. It's like Swiss cheese, she was telling me. So, I went to a local student dance school dancing with the five and four-year-olds because I had no dance background. You know, I mean, everybody came in with the little kids…5,6,7,8, whatever. And then me. The kids asked my mom, are you picking up your grandchild? Well, they couldn't believe it. And then the little kids don't listen to well, but I listen, you know. Of course, they're more agile, more flexible. They pick up faster than me. But I said let me start a little bit, you know, and it was tough to dance for ballet when you’re not starting young. I was ready to quit. Ready to quit.
A friend and a colleague of mine got breast cancer and she said she wasn't quitting and she was also one of the persons to encourage. She had taken ballet as a young child. She really loved it. So, she told me, she said Kris, don't quit, you know, just keep going. So, I said, if you don't quit fighting cancer, I won't quit. I will not quit. She's fighting for her life…so, I said I will always go on dancing ‘til my doctors tell me no because of what you're fighting…cancer. I'm doing the same thing. No matter what happens, then outright I will be fighting to do this.
First, because of my bone density, the doctor sends me in. Second, because I heard [about Program 60] through my husband, because he works [for Ohio State]. [It] was advertised and then I found out about it. And so, I just joined that program.
Bowerman: That’s really inspiring. How did you cope with any nervousness about enrolling as a non-traditional student? Did you feel welcomed by the instructors, administrative team and students?
You have to go in like Alice and the little hole and jump in. And that's when you have that new experience.
Aldemir: Yes, I do because, I'm the world oldest teenager. One day I came to class and they're all wearing different socks. I said, what is this? You guys lost one pair. No, this is it…this is the fashion…this is hip. So, the next day I went to class. I wore different colors. I came home, my husband looking, you [don’t have] matching socks. I said honey, this is hip and cool. You would not have been cool. You want to be here, you better wear different color socks starting tomorrow.
[Also], I have hearing loss, so some of the instructors before I got the hearing aid had a microphone on for me. Just for me, you know? And they said if you can't hear, just put up your hand. Then we'll speak louder. And then when you're doing the dying swan, a lot of people die. Before the swan dies, you get up, then you get down before you die. I said, I can't get up and down. They said everybody up and down except for [me]. So, they're very accommodating.
I took ballet one [and] ballet two. I took one semester of contemporary. I'm trying to learn different things. I love hip hop…took one year of hip hop. Not that I'm good. I was like, I want to do music and choreography on [my] own to submit for our final. So, I did that, and all my friends stayed and loved it.
I [also] got into the history because you had to do reading and writing, you know, term papers. I got so interested in anything to do with dance, it doesn't have to be [just] ballet I'm interested in. It opens me to different venues like folk dancing, you know, ethnic dancing. Today I'm going to a lecture at Hagerty Hall about dance and religion. None of the teachers required me, but I wanted to go for myself to learn more. It just broadened my horizon. Instead of like tunnel vision, you know. [In the] beginning this is what I know. It's like little frog looking up to the well. This is the universe. And now I was like wow, there's so much out there. It's like “Alice in Wonderland.” That is incredibly inspiring because as we age, as the doctors always say, there's that tendency for us to always pigeonhole ourselves and think about, you know, this is all I need to focus on? And the fear, the fear, I think, for us older people [is] don't make a fool of yourself. What would people think? You know, like you get older [you’re expected] to be very professional looking and if you move out of that mold, they say, well, you might lose your clientele, customers or some respect. That's how they look at it. And I said, if I make, I'm not making fun of people. I'm making fun of myself. I don't care what people think. If you don't care what people think…if this is for your own health, your own mind. Because my doctor told me in order to stop dementia or senility or Alzheimer's…sooner or later we're going to lose some memory…the best thing is to learn new things every day, learn new steps. Learn. I might not learn the whole sequence. I might learn one-quarter or half. It's still better than none. So, I'm doing like two classes every semester. I still work full time, so I go from here to work. Because that's keeping your mind healthy.
I'm taking Flamenco and it's very tough. Today I said to my teacher, I don't remember the sequence. I can do the first part like the second…after the third I get confused. [The instructor said] don't worry, just take it slowly, step by step.
My husband said, what is this? You go to the dance school, you know? Nobody's gonna hire you. [But] that's not the objective. This is not my second job. This is for me...for fun.
Bowerman: What have you learned and gained from your dance classes that you didn’t expect?
Aldemir: I didn't expect that they, you know in such a structured university classroom or studio situation that the teacher would spend time on me and instruction. We've spent extra time…extra effort. I said, can you put it on video? So today she put it on video. She said she’ll put it on Carmen, too, for the rest of the class. That everybody's trying to help.
Bowerman: Traditional college students often say how much they appreciate having non-traditional students in class for many reasons, but in particular because of the mutual benefits of sharing historical perspectives from a different generational experience. Are there any moments in class that you remember making unique contributions to the benefit of the class? What can the other dance students learn from a Program 60 dancer?
Aldemir: There are a lot of the things that they don't know like the historical background. They thought that Flamenco is from Spain…it's not, it's originally from Afghanistan. And India, Pakistan, the area going through the Silk Road. They're nomadic people, displaced and nobody wants them. They've been kicked out from one country. So, I can explain a lot of history…or the culture as I lived in different countries, you know, I lived in Turkey for five years with my husband, had missions work in Mexico, Colombia, three months, Italy, four months, you know, Slovenia one month, Malaysia. We lived and travelled all over because of his job. So, I think it's mutually beneficial. Of course, they're much more high tech than I am. You know, I said to the teacher. I cannot submit it on Carmen, you know? Can I send you [an] e-mail? They're very accommodating, very, very accommodating. I mean that I did not expect. I thought I'd be left out.
Bowerman: What advice would you give to other Program 60 students who are considering taking a dance class at Ohio State?
Aldemir: I think you should just take away that fear. Just, you know, dive in and enjoy. Just enjoy the experience. I think it will be good experience they will not expect. You have to go in like Alice and the little hole and jump in. And that's when you have that new experience.
A video with non-traditional college students taking classes and talking about their experiences at Ohio State.
