February is one of my favorite months because it gives us an opportunity to tell the people we care about that we do. I love the Young @ Heart Tappers! I have never been a part of any group that works and plays so well together. I actually think it’s pretty unusual for a group or 30+ women to really get along with each other. I have always loved to dance and choreograph, and I am so grateful everyday to all these dancers who make it possible for me to do what I love.

This year we are fortunate to be able to spend Valentine’s Day with each other performing dances to some of my favorite Broadway show tunes. It has been so much fun putting this show together and watching everyone working so hard on their dances and helping each other when needed. At this point of our lives, the joy of performing isn’t just about getting on the stage, but the fun we have working together in class and rehearsals to create something that other people will hopefully enjoy. My hope is that while we’re on the stage, the audience will see a great group of friends having a great time, and they will have a great time as well.

2022 was another good year for the tappers – A couple of big performances and some great parties. The holiday party in December was another huge success with great food, lots of fun and games, and general good cheer and friendship.

2023 is already off to a great start. We began rehearsing for an upcoming show on January 4 (before classes even started). In this show on February 14, we have 22 tappers performing a total of 7 dances – all from Broadway shows. Most of these dances we have performed before, but we will also be premiering a new routine to “The King of New York” from the show Newsies. My inspiration for this dance came when a group of us attended a performance of Newsies at the Candlelight Pavillion back in 2019. It may be a stretch to think of a group of 50+ ladies playing the part of young newsboys, but the tappers are always up for a challenge, and I have been really impressed with the enthusiasm shown for this difficult routine. I am hoping that we will be able to repeat this entire show at the LA County Fair in May. As if we weren’t busy enough, we have begun another new routine which will be performed in the 2023 ALDA Recital in June.

Also new for 2023, we have expanded the Young @ Heart program by adding a ballet class. We offered a couple of “sample classes” back in November and December, and I was overwhelmed with the positive response. Like the exercise classes, this class will not be performing. Designed specifically for seniors (age 50+), it will be concentrating on strengthening, stretching, improving balance and learning basic ballet technique and simple movements and short combinations. Our first class was Tuesday, 1/10 in the middle of an uncharacteristic downpour and I was more than a little worried about the attendance. I was thrilled to see 10 out of 14 ladies made it to class. Looks like this ballet group may be as dedicated as the tappers and I am really looking forward to working with them.