Phoenix Senior Shares Love of Tap Dancing with New Neighbors

Phoenix AZ

26 July, 2021

12:21 PM

Description

With sweltering temperatures making most outdoor activities all but impossible, residents at The Terraces of Phoenix senior living community have found a new way stay fit and cool this summer thanks to the lifelong passion of one of their newest neighbors. Every Tuesday afternoon, you'll hear a rhythmic pitter-patter from a fitness room. Inside, resident Mary Brown, who moved to The Terraces this spring, is leading a tap dancing class where participants learn some of tap dancing's foundational steps and movements and even basic choreography. "Tap is just something I fell in love with," said Brown, who's studied various forms of dance since she was 6 years old in Globe-Miami, Arizona. "I learned other forms of dance — acrobatics, ballet — growing up, but tap dancing I loved best." Brown spent 33 years in the Department of the Treasury, many with the IRS Office of International Operations. She had postings around the world, including France, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador. No matter where she found herself, dance was a constant presence. "It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun," said Brown of her career. "I learned so much and saw so much; it was fabulous." In addition to the class at The Terraces, Brown also teaches local adults at a nearby dance studio and photographs concerts featuring flamenco, another dance she's very passionate about.