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It's not often I find myself wishing myself olderÌýbut that's what happened today when I met the Crescent Elderflowers Dance Company,Ìýa lively, lovely bunch of older womenÌýbased in the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast. I wanted to be one of them.ÌýBut to be anÌýElderflower you have to be aged over 60. The youngest is 62, the oldest 80.

Renee, 71, tells me she hasÌýtwo artificial knees but that hasn't put her off embracing her "inner dancer" as she calls it,ÌýalthoughÌýyesterday's knee bending warm up was a bit much. She told their 27 year choreographer Eileen McClory to go easier on them!

Moya, one of the youngest, in her early sixties,Ìýsaid they've been discovering bits of themselvesÌýthey haven't used in a while.

They've got a show coming up this Friday. "Here Comes the Sun" has been devised by the women themselves, who haveÌýlived, worked and raised familiesÌýin Belfast for the past 40Ìýyears.

They appear as mothers,Ìýwives,ÌýBritish army,Ìýparamilitaries and children playing with toy guns.

They talk about how, when their teenage children went outÌýat night, during the height of the Troubles, theyÌýdidn't rest until everyone was back under the roof of the house again - worried that theyÌýwould get caughtÌýup in trouble or end up being arrested.

Set against the drama outside their front door, life ticked on and, in one section,Ìýthey try to remember who among them was the first toÌýown aÌýwashing machine.Ìý

There's so much laughter and energyÌýI'm reminded of that film "Cocoon", when the older people get a new lease of life from the rocks the aliens have left in the swimming pool next door to their retirement home. Except this time, there are no extra terrestrials but a lot of endorphins released by exercise and movement.

And as well as aÌýhealth kick, local older age groups like the Elderflowers could be in line for aÌýfinancialÌýkick too.ÌýA new fund has just been announced by the Arts Council ofÌýNorthern Ireland, which is giving £700,000 inÌýan .

ÌýThe Crescent Elderflowers perform "Here Comes the Sun" in St Mary's University College as part of on Friday 6th August at 3pm.