Philipstown octogenarian is champion dancer

When Carolyn Fadden did the rumba and the cha-cha in the Albany Hilton ballroom earlier this month, her partner was less than half her age.

That didn't handicap the Philipstown octogenarian - she won gold and bronze medals in the Fred Astaire New York Capital Dancesport Championships.

Fadden is one of many older ballroom dancers in the Highlands who turn to the activity for fun and companionship, and to combat the challenges of aging.

"It is the best exercise for older people," says Fadden. "It's physical, but you have to use your brain. When people do sudokus and crosswords, they're usually sitting."

Fadden took up dancing 10 years ago with her husband, Chris. "Our kids were gone and we wanted something we could do together," she says. They tried golf and tennis but settled on dancing.

The Faddens dance nearly every week at the Fred Astaire studio on Route 9 in Philipstown, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Carolyn also takes multiple lessons a week, honing her skills for competitions in which amateurs are paired with professionals. She competes in the 75-and-older age group.

Her usual partner is Yuriy Herhel, the studio's 43-year-old owner. But Herhel had to care for his newborn. So, in Albany, Fadden joined Ernest Horodnychov, 32, another instructor from the studio. Herhel and Horodnychov each danced and taught in Ukraine before immigrating to the U.S. and settling in Fishkill.

Every time she wins, Fadden writes the date on the medal and puts it in a box. "I'm not that competitive, but I like to get the medals," she says.

Rita and Mark Warm, of Philipstown, took up dancing more than 20 years ago when Mark asked for dance lessons for his birthday. Mark, 74, said his parents loved to dance, but he was too self-conscious in his youth when Chubby Checker was urging everyone to do The Twist.

"Once we reach a certain age, we want to make sure we do everything that we want to do before we die," says Rita, 79.

The Warms paused their dancing when Mark, a retired physical education teacher, needed two hip replacements after a lifetime as a baseball catcher, including for a senior men's league. Now the couple dances regularly at the Fred Astaire studio in Philipstown, which is minutes from their home at Glassbury Court. They show off their moves on their trips to Margaritaville, near Cancun, where they get lots of compliments from younger people. "It makes them happy to see old people dancing," says Rita.

Many older people take up ballroom dancing for companionship after a spouse dies or becomes disabled, says JoAnn Brown, 84, of Garrison, whose husband has Parkinson's disease. "This is an opportunity to be in the arms of a professional dancer, and to close your eyes and think you're Cinderella, which is not a common experience for an old lady," she says. "It's so good for the soul and spirit."

Brown, a certified yoga instructor who offers chair yoga classes online, took dance lessons with her husband at the Fred Astaire studio in Wappingers Falls. "It was a wonderful experience," she said. But they stopped during what Brown suspects was the early stages of her husband's illness. Brown returned to dancing recently at the urging of her friend Carolyn Fadden.

Younger people also enjoy ballroom dancing, of course. Many take lessons to prepare for weddings. Amit Dhurandhar, 42, of Nelsonville, decided to take classes because the studio was close. He thought, "What's the worst that can happen?"

Now he competes and has won more than 25 medals, including several golds at a national competition held on a cruise earlier this year. He won four silvers this month in Albany, which was a regional competition.

He entered because his parents were visiting. "My mom wanted to see me dance," he says.