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SALT LAKE CITY — For senior citizen Dick Williams and his girlfriend Lou Fisher, “every day is Valentine’s Day.”
Williams and Fisher met last January at one of the Tenth East Senior Center’s biweekly senior dances, which feature a live band every Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. Williams said the couple hasn’t missed a dance since meeting.
“He came over and asked me to dance, and we haven’t stopped dancing since,” Fisher said.
Williams and Fisher spent Friday morning swinging to classic romantic anthems such as “My Funny Valentine” and Frank Sinatra’s “You Make Me Feel So Young” at the senior center’s annual Valentine’s Day dance. Music was provided by the Fred Edwards Band, a combo of senior musicians that has played at the center every Friday for eight years.
“This is a fun gig for us,” said bandleader Fred Edwards, a drummer. “Everyone in our group really looks forward to Fridays.”
The Tenth East Senior Center is one of 16 nonresidential community centers managed by Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services. The center provides a variety of services to the valley’s over-60 population, including career and technical support, health promotion and opportunities to socialize.
“What we want to do is eliminate the isolation of seniors,” said Emma Houston, assistant program director for Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services. “These dances are social gatherings, set to music that they grew up with and celebrated in their lives. It helps them to reminisce about where they’ve been in their lives and where they are now.”
By Houston’s count, Friday’s event drew about 40 people, all over the age of 60. Some spun partners across the floor; others admired the holiday decorations from tables draped in pink plastic. Regular attendees caught up with each other in between songs.
Sharon and Ardene Bona have been dancing at the senior center since marrying 10 years ago. While Sharon likes the exercise of dancing, she said the social aspect is what keeps her coming back.
“We get to be a little family,” she said of the center’s tight-knit community. “Occasionally someone new comes along and we just pull them right in.”
High school sweethearts Thomas and Colleen Gregory have been dancing together for nearly 70 years, beginning as students at Salt Lake City’s now-defunct South High School. Thomas’ membership in the school band prevented him from taking Colleen to their own high school dances, but Colleen said that didn’t stop them from going dancing. The Gregorys have been senior dance regulars for the past three years.
“I just wish we’d heard about this sooner,” Colleen said. “We’ve always loved to dance.”
Houston said the dances meet a pronounced need for closeness in Utah’s aging community.
“To still dance, to have that relationship with your spouse or someone who you’re dating, that’s priceless,” she said. “To keep that romance going, regardless of how many years have passed, I just think that’s a wonderful thing.”
Thanks to the senior center, Williams and Fisher will celebrate their second Valentine’s Day as a couple this Saturday. Fisher encouraged local seniors to consider attending a dance, especially if they find themselves looking for love in their twilight years.
“This is a really nice place to come, and we’ve always had good music here,” Fisher said, taking her boyfriend's arm and turning back toward the dance floor. “When you meet someone here, you know it’s good company.”
