Health & Fitness
Meet an “Amazing” Who Really Did Run Off to Join the Circus
At 18, Laverne Tharge, now 81, joined the circus to dance--and she hasn't stopped dancing since.
Laverne Tharge, 81, has been tap-dancing since she was 4 years old, and at 18, against her parents wishes (!), took a job as one of the Spanglette dancers with the Shrine Circus. The dancers introduced each act, performing nation-wide. Laverne then got married, raised 5 children, but her interest in dance never waned. She helped with children’s dance classes in her community, and in 2001, proposed to the Dundee Township Park District Board the creation of a senior tap dance program. Since then, her senior tap classes are so popular, she’s had to develop beginner and advanced classes to meet the need. She can’t imagine a world without music and dance - and although seniors may start tap-dance lessons for the exercise, they usually end up continuing for the fun of it!
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