Dancing at the Elder Arts show

Last year I was sent an invitation to an event at the DeYoung Museum featuring the art from a program that teaches art to seniors. A swing band was playing, so I made arrangements to go with one of my favorite dance partners, Bill Swindle. No sooner did we make our arrangements than we were disinvited. “Oops,” said the disinvitation, “It never occurred to us that all the people we invited would actually accept, and we don’t have room for all of you, so you can’t come after all. Sorry about that.” This year another invite came in the mail for the same event, same band, but this time it was at Moscone Center and they didn’t even check our invitations at the door. The space was so huge, anyone could come and everyone would fit. The elder artists were definitely grooving to the music, but we were the only ones dancing. Many people thought we had been hired as part of the entertainment, and the band really appreciated us. Musicians play much better when they’re appreciated. Early in the evening, a woman came up to us and asked if she could have a dance. As I watched Bill dancing with her, I could tell that while she was rusty, she clearing had been a proficient dancer at one time, so I cut in half way through and finished the dance with her. “Thank you!” she said as she departed, “You made my day.”