The partners of the STEP-BY-STEP: Tango for Active Ageing project will gather in Bergamo on Friday 13 March for their first face-to-face coordination meeting, to agree the next phase of work on an innovative tango-based programme for older adults.
EU-backed tango initiative for active ageing
STEP-BY-STEP is a 12‑month Erasmus+ SPORT is a small-scale project, co-funded by the European Union, that uses Argentine tango as a therapeutic tool to promote active ageing, social inclusion and improved physical and cognitive well-being among seniors, including those with neurodegenerative conditions. The consortium brings together four organisations from Spain, Italy and France: coordinator Asociación Socio-Cultural Abrazos en Movimiento in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, A.S.D. New International in Italy, Lyon Tango Festival in France, and the consultancy Consulta Europa Projects and Innovation, also based in Spain.
Bergamo meeting to finalise intervention model
During the Bergamo meeting, partners will focus on agreeing the final details of the STEP-BY-STEP tango intervention model for older people, which combines preparatory movement exercises with structured tango training and home-based activities to support balance, mobility and cognitive stimulation. The model includes an assessment component, using questionnaires completed before and after the course to measure changes in participants’ physical and mental well-being.
Free training for tango teachers
The partners will also confirm the calendar for an upcoming “train the trainer” course, which will prepare tango teachers to deliver the new programme in their own communities. The training, to be offered free of charge, will provide both theoretical and practical guidance so that instructors can adapt tango techniques to the needs and limitations of older adults.
Call for interest from local instructors Over the life of the project, each partner aims to train at least 20 seniors, with public performances planned in Spain, Italy and France to showcase participants’ progress and raise awareness of tango as a tool for active ageing. Organisers are encouraging tango teachers and schools interested in the free training to follow forthcoming announcements from the consortium and to register early once enrolment opens.