Joseph Brady was first introduced to T'ai Chi in 1967 at Brooklyn Tech, his New York high school that was one-third Chinese. "I got turned on to it then and have been doing it ever since," he says.
On April 14 and the 21, he and his wife Jacqui Shumway will host T'ai Chi in the Park as part of the Denver Public Library's Fresh City Life program. The free class will introduce people to the basics of this premier form of Chinese physical and exercise therapy; in China, thousands of people practice T'ai Chi in the parks every day. "The idea is to try to mimic that in Denver," Brady said. "We're trying to get T'ai Chi going in parks." It's a way to get people more active, and improve balance, strength and aerobic conditioning, he says.
Brady and Shumway teach for-credit T'ai Chi classes at Metropolitan State College and run community programs thorugh the T'ai Chi Project. Last year, they were invited to speak at Oxford University. The couple even met through T'ai Chi. Shumway was working at the Health Sciences Center doing excersize therapy and Brady worked for Denver University when the two wound up working together on a T'ai Chi-related project.
The classes take place from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Greek Theater in Civic Center Park. Registration is required: Call 720-865-1206. For information, visit www.taichidenver.com. -- Jessica Centers
