Every Monday evening, a group of 20 women turns up at a Bishan dance studio.

They are retirees, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and cancer survivors, and their ages range from the late 40s to 81.

Togged up in fashionable gear, they have been learning bellydance movements from dance instructor Ruby Tan, 44

The one-hour sessions, organised by the Women's Initiative for Ageing Successfully since last year, are fun if somewhat strenuous and sweaty affairs.

The women each pay a subsidised sum of $5 per session.

Once newcomers to this dance form, they now easily sashay and shimmy to the beat of Arabian dance tunes and songs from Bollywood films.

Several of the women, the less bashful ones, have taken their act to public spaces, where they have performed at different community events.

Coming up is an opening act they will perform for a beauty pageant for seniors.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times.