THEY ‘Gotta Sing Gotta Dance’
Footnotes performers are having a hell of a good time onstage
THERE’S
SOMETHING about energetic septuagenarians singing and dancing on stage.
Maybe it’s because they remind us life goes on past middle age.
Maybe it’s because they have no need for pretense.
Maybe it’s because after you are 70 you can just be who you are.
Or is it because it’s mind-boggling that such concentrated energy and joy pours from the stage in ways that make us marvel?
I think, in the end, it’s just because we love seeing folks of a certain age having a hell of a good time on stage.
“Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance” was the mantra of Gene Kelly in that 1950s film “Singin’ in The Rain.” Well, the folks at Footnotes and their senior dance shows dance their hearts out come rain or shine.
For 17 seasons, their shows have sent audiences home happy.
They’re not all over 70, but plenty of them are.
Here are a few stories about some 70-and-over Footnotes participants that will open your eyes to how much staying young depends on singing and dancing.
JUDY SLOAN
is 78. She dreamed of being a ballet dancer. When she was four she started lessons with Hamilton’s legendary Eileen and June Morrison in their Ottawa Street studio. She took her ballet exams and hoped to be admitted to the National Ballet School.
“That didn’t happen,” she says. “I was told my body type was wrong for ballet. I was 5-feet-2, too short it seems. They wanted long legs and willowy arms.”
Sloan didn’t give up on dance. “In my 30s I took evening classes to keep in shape. I took jazz and adult ballet. It was great. I was doing something I loved.”
Sloan became a teacher in the Catholic system in Hamilton and beyond. She even coached senior boys’ football. She directed school musicals and led school choirs. But she never lost her desire to dance on stage.
“My students used to say I should be onstage performing. And now that’s where I am.”
Sloan loves being part of Footnotes. She admits she’s a bit shaky just before she goes onstage. “But once I get out there, I just go for it.
“Wow, I can’t explain it. I guess Diane Wood, Andy Muller and Judy Sloan. I’m just a ham at heart. I have this old lady’s body, but in my head I’m 21. Dancing and performing at 78, that’s something to wake up to every day.”
DIANE WOOD,
74, was raised in Smooth Rock Falls, a small northern Ontario town.
“There was no money. I had nine brothers and sisters. We got along as best we could.
“There was a tap teacher in town and boy did I want to dance. But there was no money for shoes, so I was sidelined. Dance was put on the back-burner. I didn’t take dance classes until I was in my mid-60s.”
When Wood moved to Fraserdale, Ont., there was only one way to get in and out. That was by Polar Bear Express.
“It took anywhere from three to 12 hours. You went from Cochrane to a small drop-off station and the hydro truck took you the rest of the way. No time for dancing, I’m afraid.”
Wood became adaptable to the -50 degree weather. She learned not everything about life was easy.
“I’ve blossomed these days,” this Burlington resident says, laughing. “I’ve tapped into my desires. I’m dancing to Lady Gaga in the Footnotes show. I do two jazz numbers and a Bollywood dance. It’s all very physical.
“I joined Footnotes when I was 64. I tapped my way into my bucket list. The camaraderie is amazing. It gives me emotional support. As you grow older it becomes more difficult to dance, but I find it makes me energized.
“I think this group represents the art of aging. There’s one unwritten rule. Never talk about your aches and pains. Get moving and they go away.” ANDY JANIS MULLER
AND are a dancing couple, though it didn’t start out that way.
Andy retired from his position as a professor of economics at McMaster University. His wife, Janis, was already active with Footnotes.
“I realized if I ever wanted to see her I better join in the fun,” Andy says. “I always enjoyed singing and dancing so I became one of the dancing guys in the show.
“I was 65 when I did my first show. I play Elvis this year with all those sexy gestures.
“I’m the only man on stage with 20 women in one number. The whole thing is just in fun.
“In another dance I’m up there in one number with some other guys and we open our shirts and wiggle our bums. It’s a laugh.”
Andy has Parkinson’s Disease, but he doesn’t let that stop him having fun onstage. “At 74, I just keep going,” he says. “That’s what life is all about, isn’t it?”
Andy’s wife Janis, 70, is an exkindergarten teacher. When she saw an advertisement in The Spectator for belly dance classes she signed up. That led to taking part in Footnotes productions.
“This is my 17th show. I do it this because it’s fun.
“It’s exercise for the brain. And it’s good for your mood.”
All the folks give credit to Footnotes’ director Rosemarie Maurice for keeping them on their feet and dancing.
Gary Smith has written on theatre and dance for The Hamilton Spectator for more than 35 years. Special to The Hamilton Spectator