In celebration of American Heart Month, Beaufort Memorial Hospital is hosting its annual “Dance for Your Health” event, a free community wellness celebration designed to get you movin’ and groovin’ your way to better health.

The event takes place from 9 a.m. to noon, this Saturday, Feb. 23, at Sun City’s Pinckney Hall and will feature dance demonstrations, health screenings, light refreshments, door prizes, mini dance classes and a hula hoop contest.

<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Health-Day-of-Dance.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-10048" alt="Health-Day of Dance" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Health-Day-of-Dance-300x145.jpg" width="300" height="145" /></a>“Dancing is a fun way to engage your cardiovascular system and keep your heart healthy,” said Emily Harris, who is helping coordinate the program for BMH. “It’s exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise.”

Instructors from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bluffton will be offering 20-minute lessons in salsa, cha-cha, shag and dancercize, a low-impact workout performed to Latin rhythms. Dance performances also will be presented every half-hour on the main stage.

In addition, BMH specialists in cardiology, vascular surgery, orthopedics, and nutrition will be on hand to answer questions. Blood pressure and glucose screenings will be available for free along with $10 cholesterol screenings (cash and checks only). Fasting is required for the glucose and cholesterol tests.

There will be a number of health education stations dispensing information on a variety of medical issues. Guests who visit all of the stations will be eligible for door prizes. Those who visit the cardiology area will have the opportunity to win a free EKG test to be performed during the event in the LifeFit Mobile Wellness Unit, which will be parked on site.

Participants also will have the chance to check out the new da Vinci Si, an advanced robotic surgical system being used at Beaufort Memorial Hospital to perform minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, including single-site surgery. Drs. Stephen Sisco and Deanna Mansker — the first two surgeons in the area to perform single-site gallbladder surgery using the robot — will be on hand to demonstrate the robot’s enhanced capabilities.

Dance for Your Health is open to both adult men and women. The event is free, but registration is required to participate. To sign up, visit www.bmhsc.org or call (843) 522-5585.