CRESTWOOD, Ky. (WDRB) — You might not expect a tap dancer to be using a walker. But at 101, Sue Keller is doing the unexpected by stepping back onto the dance floor and fulfilling a longtime dream at the Oldham County Schools Art Center Thursday.
"I’ve always loved dancing," Keller said.
Keller started dancing when she was 10, learning during the Great Depression through free park programs.
"That was during the Depression era. And everything was free," Keller said. “And the parks said they would teach us dancing."
Her love for dance followed her into adulthood and into her marriage. Keller’s husband, who lost an arm during World War II, still danced with her.
"When we went on a date, that’s what it was — dancing," Keller said.
Keller lives at Forest Springs Health Campus, where staff members help residents pursue lifelong goals through a wish-fulfillment program. For Keller, that meant returning to tap dancing.
"She always talks about music and dancing," Ashley Stephens, who works at the senior community campus, said. "It’s really cool to see it firsthand right here with her."
Before the performance, Keller admitted she felt nervous. She also worried about her partner, 14-year-old Landon Dodrill, who was recruited to share the routine.
"I’m feeling sorry for him,” Keller joked. “I don’t expect him to pick me up if I fall on the floor."
Dodrill was surprised when his tap teacher told him he would be dancing with a 101-year-old.
"My tap teacher told me that there was this lady who wanted to dance with me," Dodrill said. "And I asked her who. And she said it’s this lady and she’s 101 years old."
Once they started, Dodrill said Keller exceeded his expectations.
"I was really shocked about how well she can actually move around and tap."
After the dance, Keller said she wasn’t tired and could have kept going.
When asked for her secret to feeling good at 101, she didn’t hesitate.
"Keep breathing," Keller said.
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