Neil Rowsell (far left) with other members of Chord-eaux, a popular band of talented all-senior folk musicians who’ll be staging not one but two bush dances for the 2025 Seniors Festival in the Illawarra. Photo: Chord-eaux.
Neil Rowsell has a spring in his step and a knack for passing it on. His conduit of choice? Bush dance music.
As the guitarist and vocalist for popular Illawarra-based folk band Chord-eaux, that’s what he’s bringing to the 2025 Seniors Festival.
This band of talented seniors, who put on about 80 concerts a year at aged care facilities and community events, will play two concerts for the festival – on Friday 14 March at Jamberoo School of Arts and Sunday 16 March at the Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club Heininger Hall.
Neil reckons there’s no greater equaliser on the dance floor than a good old-fashioned Aussie bush dance.
“In the last year or so we’ve done bush dances at an 80th birthday, a 70th birthday, a 21st birthday, one for the congregational church in Wollongong and an end-of-year function at Mount Kembla Public School. It’s an all ages kind of dance,” he says.
“We’ve been playing at some nursing homes for 15 years now, and we know the difference it makes to seniors just playing music and getting them involved.
“We try to get everyone on the dance floor but if they’re not up to it, that’s OK, too – we’ll sing to them. The music and activity have benefits regardless, and it’s always fun.”
For the Seniors Festival bush dances, Chord-eaux will have a “dance caller” walking people through the steps before the music starts, and they will continue to call the dance until people are looking comfortable with the steps.
The band will play traditional and contemporary folk songs (read: Click Go the Shears and Heel and Toe Polka), as well as some Irish and Scottish folk songs.
The concerts are part of a major celebration of the 2025 Seniors Festival (Monday 3 to Sunday 16 March), staged by Kiama Council, Wollongong City Council and Shellharbour City Council and spread across the Illawarra.
The festival offers a fantastic line-up of events to celebrate, connect and empower the region’s seniors with a diverse array of social, creative and educational workshops, exhibitions, community information sessions events tailored to senior citizens.
Event highlights include a 2025 Seniors Festival Launch and Mini-Expo in Kiama, a Health and Wellbeing Expo in Shellharbour and a Multicultural Seniors Fiesta Lunch and Expo in Fairy Meadow.
The programs offer opportunities for seniors to try new activities, learn new skills and discover new passions, but also simply to enjoy themselves. There will be “learning for fun” sessions delivered by U3A Wollongong and practical sessions on an array of topics from technology to scam awareness and falls prevention.
The 2025 Seniors Festival takes place Monday 3 to Sunday 16 March. For more information on the programs visit Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour City Council and Kiama Council.
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