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16 | OHCC LIVING | APRIL 2023 | This month the Dance Troupe is highlighting our Co-Presidents. Marcia Ward started dancing when she was around seven years old when she and her cousin performed in her childhood home. In their robes and curlers, they would dance and sing the following for her parents, "We are the dancing girls; we wear our hair in curls we never smoke or drink…that's what our parents think!" Her love of performing had begun. While attending high school in Illinois, Marcia performed as a "Rhythmette" for four years on the Prospect Knights drill team. Her favorite halftime performance was "Little Drummer Boy." Marcia met Steve at a hotel in Colorado where there was line dancing. They danced their way into marriage and raised their girls there. After 30 years in Colorado, Steve and Marcia moved to OHCC in 2010. Marcia's parents enjoyed square dancing and she loved her mom's BIG skirts! Once they were settled in OHCC, they joined the Square Dance group. They loved the people, the dancing and being involved with the Club as officers. She commented, "Thank goodness we no longer wear BIG skirts!" In 2017, Marcia joined the Dance Troupe Jazz class. She was so nervous to dance in front of all those people. However, performing was exciting! She now enjoys the Dance Troupe taking tap, jazz, and couples dancing classes. Marcia believes in and wishes to always support this GREAT group of ladies. At the end of 2021, with "extreme peer pressure," she agreed to be our Co-President for at least 2022 and 2023. Phyllis Buvel was born and raised in Nebraska, on a farm five miles outside town. It was a calm, family-oriented upbringing with Sunday morning spent in church and dinner at one of the grandparents or aunt's homes. In the summer, she rarely saw friends because they didn't go to town except on Saturday nights. She had daily house chores and afternoons were free to read or watch TV while ironing the family clothes. When her sister could drive, they were allowed to take the car to town and were trusted to stay out of trouble. On their return their dad checked the mileage… so they would drive backwards on the way home because that made the odometer go backward, too. Phyllis' parents enjoyed ballroom dancing and the kids went along to watch. That's where her love for ballroom started. She couldn't wait to graduate high school and move to the big city (Lincoln) to be a dancer on a TV show. After some college courses in Lincoln, she married a Navy Officer and left Nebraska for good. They were stationed in Georgia, Tennessee, and Midway Island before eventually settling in San Diego. Their two daughters grew up in San Diego where her marriage ended in divorce. She married again in 1991. He passed away suddenly in 2008 and then she moved to Ocean Hills in 2009. She attended the Dance Troupe Summer Lanai Party with a neighbor which led her to join the tap class right away, as well as the Ballroom Dance Club, having her first real lessons from Miriam and George Moses. Jazz was added a few years later. Phyllis has served as Vice-President of the Dance Troupe for two years, President for two years and now as Co-President. Her love of tap is second only to ballroom, her first love. She even takes a private ballroom lesson. Phyllis and Marcia are doing a great job representing the Dance Troupe and try to be fair in all the decisions that are made. They work very hard juggling all the balls involved with room scheduling and all those other things we know nothing about. The Dance Troupe is grateful for the time they spend in our behalf. To join any or all of our classes, please contact the following: Jazz or Tap contact ohccdancetroupe@gmail.com; Hawaiian contact Valerie Thompson valgene2@cox.net; Belly Dancing Contact Sharon Lair (760) 822-2670; Ballet contact Nancy Trimino ntmauistyle@aol. com We invite you to come dance with us. Ocean Hills Dance Troupe