26 — Sunday, April 14, 1996 ~ North Shore News ‘Joyful in tap Eleanor vintage years EVERY ONCE ina while someone gives me a present of material for a column. Often it’s accidental, but sometimes it happens that I get an outright request to write about an unusual hobby or the details of someone's good works in the community and that’s jovely. I am delighted to be able to spread the word. It’s always bound to Jead to new acquaintances and new knowledge about what we seniors are up to and what we're capable of doing. In this case it came from a lady who smiled at me as _, we were both coming out of “ the grocery store and head- jing in the same direction. “T'd like to tell you about our tap-dancing class,” she said, and | immediately was all ears. ; -. It’s a long, long time since anybody even men- _ tioned tap-dancing in my . hearing. It was a famitiar exercise around our house when I was growing up. My “> stepfather did a tap-dance routine ‘and played the banjo at the same time, black-face and all,-when the local Elks '.. or Moose or whatever were “'.., preparing to put on their annual Christmas party. He practiced at home, of course, for this exercise, and to us children it was like watching a transformation. | used Co try to copy him, to get that crisp slap with my loose foot —- he wore just his ordinary oxfords, nobody had cleats — but | knew I'd never make Hollywood. We all oohhd and aahhd when Fred Astaire came on the scene, of course, but if you had asked me about the current state of the tapping art you'd have drawn a blank. I quite frankly thought tap-dancing was dead as a door-nail. But there you go. The lady went on to tell me about how they had space for practising at Silver Harbour. Ah. | took another look at her. Pretty lady. She didn’t look to me like a senior citizen. If she is an example of what tap-dancing does for you it should be the comeback trail for all of us. She invited me to come see for myself, they practice twice a week in a fine big space in Silver Harbour's basement. When I arrived on . a Thursday afterncon there were only four ladies on hand, which brought on apvlogies, but I didn't mind, they were all I needed. They told me they had been a group of 10 for quite a while, but illness and grand- mothering duties had put the kibosh on them over time. The four made up for it. I have to tell you. They have worked up 10 different rou- tines over the years. That’s a lot. It isn’t just your feet you have on your mind, you know, the hands and arms and all the body parts are contributing, and having to Tired of wearing glasses or contact jenses? Plan to attend our FREE INFORMATION SEMINAR! 96% of our patients are able to drive without glasses - you could be one of them. 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When you take into con- sideration their opportunities for practice and the fact thal they are not spring chickens. you want lo salute them just for trying so hard They alse paid strict attention. | found out why when they told me this is how they help to brighten the days of elderly shut-ins, dancing for the people in Evergreen Place and West Van Seniors and the Jewish Centre in Vancouver and Canada Place. Gosh, That's not the whole list, either. They work hard at it, though they really enjoy themselves as well. One has to be impressed with their professionalism — for their outside appearances they do it up right, with black trousers and a frilly white blouse and black vest. On highdays and holidays they bring out the special vests, colorful and sparkly, and each lady dons a hat. They deserve a rol! of drums and a big hand for the job they do. Stephen Won T4 Pharmacist CAPSULE COMMENTS Some children's liquid medication contains much sugar. 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