Dancers step up for ‘big show’
Although Patsy Dade and Judy Nagy have been with the group the longest time, neither of the two Sophisticated Ladies is the oldest. That honor goes to Helen Bladon.
“She won’t tell you how old she is,” Dade warned, although she believes that Bladon is in her 80s.
“She’s our inspiration,” co-director Barbara Fry said about Bladon. “She’s what we want to be when we grow up.”
All the dancers who make up Bella Vista’s dance troupe — Sophisticated Ladies — range in age from their 50s to their 80s. Some had lessons as children and then returned to dance years later.
A few spent their entire lives in the profession as performers or teachers. A few started as adults, with the classes provided by the Sophisticated Ladies.
Most women spend a year or two in class before joining the performance group and for the novices, it might take three or four years, Fry said.
Dade, who has been with the company for 14 years, and Nagy, who has at least 15 years under her belt, have similar stories. Both had daughters who took dance lessons and both had wanted dance lessons as children but their families couldn’t afford them.
When she moved to Bella Vista, Dade tried to play golf, but she really didn’t like it. When she saw an opportunity to learn to dance, she took it.
“It’s good exercise,” Dade said, “and the girls are great.”
“It’s good mental exercise, too,” Nagy added.
Every other year the Sophisticated Ladies do a “big show” at Riordan Hall. This year’s show will be at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 and 14 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sept. 14. It’s a fundraiser with this year’s proceeds going to Cooper Elementary and the Courtesy Van. In 2011 the group raised $6,000 and donated it to the Joplin Schools to help them recover from the spring tornado, Gail Hobson, a member of the performing group, said.
For the big show, they usually start with a theme, Fry explained. In the past the themes ranged from the Roaring 20s to a “Tour of America.” Once they have the theme, they choose specific songs and divide up the choreography, Fry said. She and co-director Carol Roller each choose songs and get to work.
This year’s show is a little different, Fry said. Rather than choosing a new theme, the pair chose their favorites from past shows for a dance review.
“We have the benefit of each one of our shows being recorded,” Fry said. She also has the written notes about the choreography, but it’s much easier to make sense of the notes when you see the dance performed. Most of the dancers own their own copy of the DVD’s so they can rehearse on their own.
Another advantage of bringing back former dances, is that most of the dancers already have costumes, Hobson said. Many of the costumes were made by the group’s seamstress, but this year she wasn’t able to work due to health issues. Only one set of new costumes was purchased, Hobson said.
Each of the dancers has at least one costume change.
“When you’re hot and sweaty it can be hard,” Hobson said about quick changes behind the stage at Riordan. “We’ll have quite a few.”
The main group of 20 performers is subdivided into four groups of five. Some dances feature just one small group, others combine two or three groups. Some involve all 20 members.
Other Sophisticated Ladies attend classes in Riordan Hall, but aren’t part of the performing group, Fry said. Some prefer not to be on stage and some are still learning all the moves. The fees for lessons help pay the expenses to put on the show.
“We are blessed with very helpful husbands, including one who is the master the ceremonies,” Fry said.
Their big show isn’t the only time they perform. In fact, they do dozens of performances each year, Fry said.
“We dance for just about anyone who calls,” she said. They have traveled all over Northwest Arkansas visiting nursing homes and assisted living communities. At Christmas, they are usually invited to two area elementary schools. There are also performances for conventions and fund raisers, she said.
“We danced at the Senior Ms. Arkansas pageant,” Hobson reported.
The group has been around for 30 years, but none of the original dancers remain, so no one really knows how it got started.
The group has gotten younger over the years, Dade said. Lately, there are more members in their 50s than their 80s.