By Betty Lukas Special to the News
Thursday, July 21, 2011 12:15 PM PDT
Buoyed by the success of its first communitywide “Let’s Dance” party, Peninsula Seniors has set Sunday, July 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. for another afternoon of social dancing.
St. John Fisher Catholic Church’s parish hall will be the setting, and Marryl Cahill will be in charge of instruction — for those who want a free lesson — and the music.
Doug Close, a dance host, will be her assistant.
Cahill, a longtime Peninsula resident, said, “I’ve been involved in ballroom dance one way or another for my whole life.”
She majored in modern dance at the University of California, Los Angeles, and started the dance program at Beverly Hills High School, where she taught for 10 years. Locally, she taught dance at Palos Verdes Intermediate School for a year, and choreographed dances for both Peninsula and Palos Verdes high schools’ dance programs throughout the years. Cahill also has taught and choreographed for the Peninsula School of Performing Arts in Lunada Bay.
“A number of my students continued on as professional dancers,” she said.
Nick Arquette will return as master of ceremonies for the event.
As for the “Let’s Dance” program at St. John Fisher, Consuelo Haire, chair of the church’s yearlong Golden Jubilee Celebration, explained, “My love of dance got me excited about hosting ‘Let’s Dance’ as a jubilee event for the church.”
She called it a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the church as a “parish community with many ministries.”
Haire also cited parishioner Ken Dyda, a former president of Peninsula Seniors, for his support.
Meanwhile, Peninsula Seniors officials are jubilant about the program’s initial success on May 22.
“I’m thrilled with our newest activity,” President Ann Shaw said. “Everyone was having fun [at the dance]. Being active and engaged are exactly what Peninsula Seniors is all about.”
Seniors’ Executive Director Maryann Rimoin added, “We’ve received numerous calls about the date and the new location for the next dance. I think we have a hit.”
Admission to the July 31 dance will be $4 per person, a slight change from its May 22 debut. Unattached men are especially urged to attend, according to Marcia Haber, chair of the Seniors’ dance committee. For more information, call (310) 377-3003.