Dear Aunty,
I have recently joined a dance class for over 60s. While I am mostly enjoying the classes, there appears to be a core group within the class who are friends and they are constantly interrupting with their chatter and laughter. I enjoy a good laugh at an appropriate time, but this is over the top and so annoying. The teacher, much younger than any of us, appears to take no notice. I would like to say something to her, but think I might be considered a killjoy, even though sometimes I can barely hear the music over their chatter. What would you suggest?
Yours, Disgruntled
Aunty's Advice
Dear Disgruntled,
It is likely well known by readers of this column that your Aunt very much subscribes to a “dance like no one is watching” mentality. However, dancing like no one is watching causes no inconvenience to others. Unless, of course, you have an allergy to seeing a woman of a certain vintage bump and grind in your vicinity (you’d be surprised how many people fall into that category, Disgruntled), in which case One would say that is most definitely a you problem and not an Aunty problem.
While your dance class sounds like a good time and your Aunt wouldn’t be opposed to doing a little dancing as if no one is watching, One does understand your frustration that the rest of the class, and indeed the instructor, are not being given the respect they deserve.
While One celebrates women over the age of 60 getting out there and shaking their groove thing and making friends in the process, there is a time and a place for chit-chatting and that should be either before or after the class, not during.
One would say your best course of action is to raise it with the instructor and mention you find their chatter off-putting and disrespectful. She can then either jokingly tell them to pipe down during the class or tell them off-mic, in a quieter moment if she prefers.
One assumes you are paying for this service and likely the instructor is being paid for her time, so it is a shame that the minority are letting their social lives get in the way of allowing the majority to enjoy the class.
Hopefully bringing the fact their behaviour is disrupting others in the class to their attention is all it will take for this group of giggling Gerties to tone it down. If not, then One would raise it again with the instructor and perhaps management if it comes to that.
We all hate to be that person who complains, the Karen as they say, but sometimes people need a little reminder that while you don’t watch when they dance, you have no choice but to endure their noise.
If all else fails, maybe you should look for silent disco options. That way you can dance as if no one is watching in peace.
