NORTHRIDGE, Calif. (KABC) — Audrey Chen of Northridge is using her passion for dance to make a difference by offering free bilingual classes to help seniors and the elderly stay active.

The 16-year-old regional and national dance champion has been practicing ballet, hip hop, tap and contemporary dance since she was three years old.

After watching her grandparents’ daily stretching exercises, she was inspired to start a new project.

“The senior community has always been very important to me, especially in the Valley,” Chen said. “I met a lot of my grandmother’s friends and heard that they wanted a class to improve their posture.”

Two years ago, the teenager founded a course for older students who wanted to improve their posture and increase their physical health.

“They love dancing,” she said. “All the people who come here are excited about dancing. They’ve seen dancing, but many of them don’t know where to start.”

Even Chen’s mother, her biggest fan and supporter, has become her student.

“Her ability to connect with them and also speak the language, because for many of them … their English is quite limited. She can teach the class in both Chinese and English,” Casey Wu said.

Chen teaches the weekly class every Sunday with her own choreography. Students don’t need any previous experience, but the goal of the class is to improve posture, stretching, flexibility and mental well-being.

“After class I feel so relieved, all my joints are so relaxed, that’s the advantage,” said student Jun Wu.

Chen plans to continue giving back to the older generation through dance.