REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday, July 1, 2004

THE Happy Tappers were the Gold Coast’s latest entertainment sensations, and 79-year-old Joyce Brimelow was the dance troupe’s pin-up girl.

The great-grandmother was the star of the show at the opening of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre as the Happy Tappers supported major act, The Boy From Oz, Todd McKinney.

Having taken up dancing at the tender age of 65, Joyce was the oldest member of the Happy Tappers, and proud of it.

However, during the fourminute routine her age sometimes caught up with her.

During the performance, Joyce had to resort to an impromptu routine, switching to a “charleston” halfway through the act when she became puffed from the highkick sequence.

“It’s more of a gimmick really,” she confessed.

“Once, during the routine, I realised I couldn’t do it, kick over and over again, I had to come up with something. I played it up a bit.

“It ended up being a bit of a hit so we have added it to the routine ever since.”

The 1200-strong crowd roared with laughter and applause at the antics of Joyce and the 23 other tap dancers who were part of the Paradise Performers Academy.

Dancing was both a hobby and a way to keep fit for the ladies, and they said it is better than a game of cards or bowls.

“That’s for old people. I think most people are quite surprised at how good we are, especially the age we are,” she said.

“They love it. It’s because it’s a bit of a novelty for them, and I think they like the grey hair.’’