Despite the cold temperatures and the huge piles of snow, the
atmosphere of The Bristal Assisted Living Center was glowing with smiles.
On the chilly Saturday morning of February 6, Hofstra
Ballroom members Taylor Brooks, Joshua Cordova, Jessica Day, Andrew Garrett,
Jeffrey Lin, Lynn Luong, Connor Mayes, Allysha Neveldine, Francesca Pavlovici,
Travis Peng, and Haven Smart strutted their dance moves.
The team performed dances including the American rumba,
swing, samba, waltz, and foxtrot. The formation team also performed their
choreography created by Steffen Sieber. The ballroom dance team members enjoyed
the Viennese waltz and the jive the most.
The members successfully made the residents feel young and
hip. When asked which dance they liked the best, one resident answered with the
tango because she felt sultry, full of passion.
When Beatrice Weissman, a senior resident, was asked what
ballroom dancing meant to her, she said, “When I was young, this is what we did
on the weekends. Friday and Saturday nights we went out dancing and we loved it. Social dancing is wonderful!
We just wanted to have a good time.” Candy, another senior resident added to
that, “I met my husband at a dance!”
The dance team made quite the impression on the residents and
staff. Anne Matson, the director of the activities department, eagerly invited Hofstra Ballroom to come back again.
