No matter your age, you can always enjoy a rave | Letters

. UK edition

People in silhouette dancing
‘I was initially afraid that the dance style I learned 60 years ago in the age of rock would look really out of it. But nope.’ Photograph: Getty

Letter: Brian F Nattrass went to a festival to celebrate his 80th birthday, started dancing and suddenly felt ageless. Plus a letter from John Parry

Thanks for an inspiring and timely article (The rave secret: why middle-aged women are larging it – and seeing big health benefits, 20 July). My 37-year-old daughter recently invited me to a festival to celebrate my 80th birthday. There were raves each night for three nights in a row. I learned to dance in the late 50s and 60s, during the era of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. I used to absolutely love dancing and used to party in clubs well into my late 30s. But reading your article, I realised that I hadn’t danced in over 40 years!

When my daughter invited me to a festival, naturally I had all the self-doubts and concerns you mentioned in your article, including “internalised ageism”. But I love and trust my daughter. She said: “Dad, you’ll do great!” So I went, and I did – dancing with total strangers until 4-5am every night for three nights.

It was so incredibly fun. Feeling my body move to the beat was so tangible and felt so right, and it was so energising. I was initially afraid that the dance style I learned 60 years ago in the age of rock would look really out of it. But nope. Things on the dancefloor haven’t changed that much. And once I started dancing and felt the beat of the music, I completely forgot my age of 80 years; I became ageless.

Dancing awakened a sense of physical vibrancy that I had forgotten. I definitely intend to rave on. It feels so good!
Brian F Nattrass
Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada

• As a 63-year-old man who still goes dancing, there were no surprises in this article for me. Around 10 times a year I go clubbing or to festivals with dance stages/tents. The shared feelings of euphoria with polite and kind people from every generation far outweigh the tiredness the day after. I’m thoroughly convinced of the extended health benefits of raving for six-ish hours (in my case with ongoing rheumatoid arthritis). And leaving the club (or wherever) as dawn breaks just makes me feel completely alive. If you like dancing, go dancing. It’s lovely.
John Parry
Torremolinos, Spain