Monday, March 2, 2009 11:00 PM CST
Seniors dance circles around cadets at annual JROTC ball
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — There was plenty of rug-cutting to be had at the fourth annual JROTC Senior Citizen Ball on Sunday at Mattoon High School.
And the cadets weren’t the ones owning the dance floor.
“We just dance in circles,” said Cadet Sgt. Nikari Lee, a sophomore at MHS. The seniors “actually have meaning to their dances,” she said.
“It’s like seeing a piece of history, watching them do that.”
The ball, hosted Sunday afternoon by the corps of young officers at MHS, brought in more than 70 senior citizens — many of whom demonstrated dance skills that left the JROTC members in awe.
“They’re really good,” said Dillon Johnston, MHS senior and JROTC battalion commander. “I can’t dance, but I can learn.”
Cinda Moran of Mattoon is leader of the Heartland Senior Line Dancers, a group that formed 17 years ago and performs at nursing homes, churches and elsewhere about twice per week. On Sunday, their venue was the gymnasium at MHS.
“We got rid of our husbands, so this is the only kind of dancing we can do,” Moran said with a chuckle.
And “we love it” at the JROTC Senior Citizen Ball, she added. “The cadets do an excellent job. (We) can’t wait to come to it.”
Most of the Heartland dancers are in their 70s or 80s, and they know about “every kind” of line dancing, Moran said. About 17 of the group’s 28 members attended Sunday’s ball and introduced cadets to several steps.
“Oh yeah, they learn fast,” said Moran. “They’re great.”
Cadet Capt. Joseph Tutt, a senior at MHS, was one of their students. “It’s fun, but they can out-dance me,” he said.
“It’s not easy, but it’s fun.”
Bo and Pixie Boedecker of Kansas, who teach dance at the Paris YMCA, usually participate in the JROTC ball. Bo Boedecker said some of the seniors may not look like they can dance well at first glance.
“But when they get on the dance floor, things change,” he said. “We have a good time with these kids.”
Mattoon residents Stan and Vivian Petrovich, 84 and 82, respectively, have been dancing for about three decades. They’ve even taken lessons.
Stan Petrovich said they try to go dancing once a week — especially if the music is provided by Scott Wattles and the Blue Suede Crew, who performed at Sunday’s ball.
“We enjoy the band very much,” Petrovich said.
But this doesn’t mean they appreciated the organizers of the JROTC ball any less. “It’s tremendous that they do something for the seniors,” said Petrovich, who took the opportunity to show several cadets some new moves, as did his wife.
Johnston said Sunday’s ball was the largest so far. There were more than 120 reservations, compared to 15 reservations last year. About 60 seniors attended last year’s dance.
He said the JROTC is required to do an annual service project, but they organize the senior ball to “do something that’s not usually done, instead of going to a park and picking up trash.”
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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