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We are back! After 13 months, we started having dance practice in the Mykonos Room at the beginning of May, and by the time you are reading this, we should be back to full classes with our teacher. It feels so good to put our tap and jazz shoes on and warm up our out-of-shape bodies. And it feels even better to see our classmates live and in person now that we have been vaccinated. The Mykonos floor has been redone and is in good condition for dancing. Now that we are back, we're remembering dances we had learned for our performance that was scheduled for June 2020. We are still not sure when we will be able to meet in large enough groups to have our usual audience and will reschedule the performance when we are sure it can be done in AB Hall. While we wait, we will continue to enjoy the movement and the music, and the companionship of our dance troupe. The Dance Troupe welcomes new members whether you are new to dance or have experience. We have classes in jazz, tap, Hawaiian, and belly dancing. If you are interested in tap or jazz, please contact Allison Stewart at als2art@gmail.com. If you are interested in Hawaiian dancing, please contact Valerie Thompson at valgene2@cox. net. If you are interested in belly dancing, please contact Sharon Lair at (760) 822-2670. 14 | OHCC LIVING | JUNE 2021 | Ocean Hills Dance Troupe Village Squares Fate Plays Cupid! Len and Clarice Holness were members of the same youth group at a Kansas church. He had his eye on the pretty young girl, but she was not giving this tall, handsome young college man the time of day. As fate would have it, the group decided to put on three one-act plays, and Len and Clarice were cast as a young married couple in one of the plays. To Len's delight, the 18-year-old college man discovered the act included a kissing scene, which he was happy to rehearse with the 15-year-old Clarice. This led to their dating, and eventually, marriage. Len says they do not always agree on everything, but they have the same goals. Their first goal was to have Len graduate from Wichita State and get out of Dodge! So, he went to school days and worked nights, with Clarice working also — very busy times! After graduation, Len was hired by NASA as a test engineer, so they moved west. Their next goal was to have Clarice get her degree and start a family. She graduated with a degree in accounting and worked with two different companies before starting work with the IRS, which she stayed with until retirement. Len eventually left NASA and took a job with Hughes Aircraft as an engineering manager. These were very busy years with both parents working full time and raising two boys in Woodland Hills. After they both had retired, they investigated many retirement communities, and decided on this one, moving here in 2004. Their roof mates, Bert and Etta Fisch, insisted they try square dance. They became students in 2005 because it reminded Len of the Persian Rifle Drill Team he had belonged to in the army ROTC. In 2007, they agreed to be vice presidents when Roy and Irma Jucknath became presidents, shouldering much of the responsibility during that year. They followed that by serving as presidents in 2008. They continued to help with Tuesday classes and dancing regularly on Wednesdays. Len also was able to assist Verl when he began teaching the Thursday practice. It is always a pleasure to be in their square, as they are excellent dancers. It should be noted that they are considered two of the best ballroom dancers in the village and wowed us with their ability and dazzling costumes in the Theater Arts performance of The Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. We are indeed fortunate that this talented couple decided that Ocean Hills would be their home.

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