
She would have turned 82 on Sunday, had she lived, and I can only imagine that she would still, at that age, be a woman of beauty and grace. Several of my fondest memories of her include our dancing together. When I was preparing to play George M. Cohan, she taught me my first triple time-step; as I grew more frustrated with trying to learn the steps, she gave some great advice regarding tap dancing: "Stop worrying about the steps. Listen to the sound." I've forgotten just about every other tap combination I learned, but the triple timestep, taught to me by my mother on our kitchen linoleum floor, remains with me.
But we didn't just tap together. I took three years of ballroom dance, and she used to help me practice. She was so proud when I won a Charleston contest, though she would have preferred that honor have been bestowed in a ballroom rather than the local bar. But hey, I won 75 bucks and a t-shirt!
She enjoyed more contemporary dances, too, and was pretty swift with the twist. As a special Friday Dance Party, here is an old home movie of my mother and me, with some groovy 60s moves:
All right, you caught me. That wasn't the twist. Mom was doing the frug, and I was doing the jerk. But these days, no one knows the difference.
OK, that really wasn't me. It was Sal Mineo. But don't you see the resemblance?


Yes, I live in my own little world.


Throughout her adult life, my mother was told she resembled Juliet Prowse. I can see it more in black-and-white photos than in color shots (Prowse maintained bright red hair through most of her career), though I think my mother was the prettier.



Hey, don't take my word for it; the Hendersonville, North Carolina Apple Blossom Queen Selection Committee agrees with me (my mother was the first beauty to hold that illustrious title).
I wish I had a video of Mom teaching me to tapdance...now, THAT would be a Friday Dance Party!
But in lieu of that, and because the above clip is downright creepy, here is a better indication of the dancing of Juliet Prowse:
4 comments:
Who Killed Teddy Bear?!?!??!
LOVE that movie!!!
The first time I ever saw Elaine Stritch was in that movie. She plays a Lesbo.
XOOXOO
Sal Mineo at his muscular peak, and you're spending the movie watching Elaine Stritch?? Get help, PLEASE.
I had already "finished" with Sal by the time Elaine showed up.
I'm sure that's none of my business.
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