There were gentlemen in tails and ladies in shiny sequined gowns at the Luepke Senior Center’s New Year’s Eve party.
Beverly Bergau thought she and her dancing partner, Bill Wagner, might have been a bit underdressed Thursday night.
They regularly go to parties and dances at the city’s Luepke Senior Center, including its spring Senior Prom event for the 50-and-older set.
“That’s when we dress up a lot more,” she said. “I tried to tell Bill, ‘I think, New Year’s Eve, these ladies are going to come out all sparkly.’ We thought it was going to be casual,” she said.
They’re members at the center, and they go on trips or go to parties organized through the club, including the dances.
“I’m 91 years old, she’s 86, so hopefully we can keep struggling along,” she said. “Make an attempt at it, anyway.”
Bergau said they usually opt for songs with slower tempos, and the occasional waltz.
“But it takes a little more energy,” she said.
The New Year’s dance is one of two dances Vancouver Parks and Recreation’s 50 and Better program offer each year.
The program hosts activities, clubs and events geared toward baby boomers and seniors, and the Luepke Senior Center also hosts dances and live music for the 50 and Better program every Sunday.
Rick and Marita Bay said they’ve often stopped by the Luepke Senior Center to enjoy the live music. They’re fans of the Beacock Music Swing Band — which provided the music that evening, as it does for Luepke Senior Center dances on occasion — but this year they joined in the dancing.
They got a quick swing dancing lesson from their son earlier.
“We got a crash course today, so we could actually try to dance to this,” said Marita Bay, who had a New Year’s Eve party hat on.
Kelly Lund, a recreation specialist with the city parks and recreation department, said Thursday night was the New Year’s Eve dance’s eighth year.
On busy weekends, the weekend dances might host up to 100 people, she said, and many dancers who were there Thursday night have been coming to the weekend dances for many years.
“They love dancing for the fact it keeps them agile,” she said. “It’s their form of wellness and fitness.”
Audrey Lasater said she’s been coming to dances at the Luepke Senior Center for about 14 years.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “We love to dance.”
Along with her dance partner and fiance, Don Lenzie, she came with her sister Margie Falkenberg and Margie’s husband, Gary.
Gary joked that the guests like coming because the band is always sure to play the music loud.
“Coming to dances like this, it makes you feel young,” he said. “It brings back memories.”
It was Bill and Barbara “Henri” Straube’s first time at a Luepke Senior Center dance.
“We haven’t danced in a long time. Legs are out of shape but it’s just fun to come and pick some slow ones,” Bill Straube said.
Their friends, Bill and Linda Tymer, invited them along.
“We came last year and it was a lot of fun. It’s fun to listen to, it’s fun to try the old dancing skills. It’s a great, great band,” Linda Tymer said.
Linda smiled when the band started playing “Mack the Knife.”
“This is the very first song I ever danced to,” she said.
