Jones County Spotlight: Halle Powell uses dance to serve seniors across North Carolina
COMFORT - At 19, Halle Powell is already blending her love of dance, service and senior care into a statewide mission.
Powell, a Jones County native from Comfort, is the founder of The Senior Shuffle Project, a nonprofit that provides seated dance classes for seniors in eldercare communities. The classes are offered both in person and virtually, giving seniors a way to stay active, build community and enjoy movement in a safe, accessible way.
Powell said she first began serving in senior living communities at age 14 and created The Senior Shuffle Project when she was 16. The idea grew from time spent visiting eldercare centers, where she noticed many residents often remained isolated in their rooms.
“I saw a gap in the senior community that I had the ability to fill,” Powell said.
Her program uses seated dance, TapFit silicone tap shoes that slide over regular shoes and tambourines for seniors with limited mobility. Powell said seated dance can support physical, mental and emotional health while giving residents a shared activity to enjoy.
The project has reached more than 300 people through in-person classes, and Powell said virtual classes through YouTube have reached all 100 North Carolina counties. In June, she hosted Senior Shuffle Day across the state, including an in-person event at the Trenton Senior Center with 34 seniors.
Powell recently partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and received a $3,000 grant to purchase 2,400 tambourines for senior facilities across the state. She also wrote letters to eldercare communities in nearly every county and is working to distribute the instruments to support virtual classes.
Among her most meaningful moments was seeing a stroke survivor tap his foot during one of her classes.
“He yelled, ‘look everybody, my foot, it’s moving,’” Powell said. “To watch it come to life in person will always be the most rewarding moment of The Senior Shuffle Project.”
Powell is a graduate of Lenoir County Early College, where she earned two associate degrees. She is now a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in business administration with a concentration in business of health and minoring in social work. She is a direct admit to the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
In addition to her nonprofit work, Powell is a dancer and competitor in the Miss America Opportunity. She has held the titles of Miss Wendell’s Teen and Miss Cleveland, and recently competed for Miss North Carolina. She said pageantry has helped her grow as a speaker, servant leader and advocate.
Powell said community service gives her a chance to be part of something bigger than herself.
“It was never about me; it was always about them,” Powell said. “I hope they see the value in seniors and understand that they deserve to be able to keep their bodies moving.”
Looking ahead, Powell hopes to graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill debt-free and return to eastern North Carolina to continue serving seniors in eldercare. She said she can see herself working in management at an eldercare facility or with a company that provides senior care.
Powell said Jones County remains central to who she is and what she hopes to accomplish.
“I love where I live,” Powell said. “I may wear the names of other places on a sash across my chest, but every time I step on stage or in an interview room, I do it with Jones County on my mind and in my heart.”
People can support The Senior Shuffle Project by sharing its website, subscribing to its YouTube channel or selecting the nonprofit for Walmart round-up donations. The project’s website is seniorshuffleproject.wixsite.com/official, and its YouTube channel is @theseniorshuffleproject.
