Community: Secret to staying happy is sharing joy
If you give happiness, it will come back to you. Thus is the philosophy of Grace Mylroie Patz, who has been spreading joy for more than a century.
Patz was thrown a jubilant soirée last week in honor of her upcoming 104th birthday on Christmas Day. The party was held during the annual holiday luncheon of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Guild at Lakeside Golf Club.
Members and guests were welcomed by Julie McArdle, guild president, and event chair Jo Massimini. State Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) even joined in the fun.
“Grace, you are absolutely awesome,” he said as he presented her with a state senate certificate of recognition.
Patz offered tidbits of philosophy, such as telling guild members to appreciate themselves.
“If you don’t admire yourself, no one is going to,” she said.
And the only way to end an argument, is to agree with the person.
“I love you, each and every one of you,” she said. “You’ve been a part of my life and I couldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all my friends.”
She asked the guild to remember that true happiness “is giving happiness.”
Sitting with Patz were her Beta Sigma Phi sorority sisters, Kitty Rice and Mikie Ellis; and longtime friend Gwen Mitchell, who worked with Patz for many years.
Other guests were Patz’s two cousins Anne Iten and Pauline Downs from Holtville, Calif.
The best thing, Iten said, is that Patz “is still so alert, passionate and loving her life.”
Also attending were Patz’s neighbors Chuck and Pattie Norris and their daughter, Allison; as well as Dee Call, retired director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, and Gayle Migden, retired recreation supervisor at the Joslyn Adult Center.
The afternoon was complete with Rick Jarrett singing an eclectic selection of Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin tunes, country and Motown hits and holiday carols.
Trio twirling toward Land of the Sweets
Three area residents will be dancing in “The Nutcracker” at the Alex Theatre in Glendale as part of the L.A. Youth Ballet, which is the advanced youth ensemble of the Los Angeles Ballet Academy, based in Encino.
This world-premiere production set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score has been recreated by award-winning choreographer Andrea Paris-Gutierrez, artistic director of the L.A. Youth Ballet.
The three performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Irene Mkrtchian, 9, whose grandmother lives in Glendale, has been taking ballet lessons for three years. This is her debut performance with L.A .Youth Ballet. She is one of the reindeer that brings the lead character, Clara, out on stage.
Lauren Santia, 17, will dance the role of the Dewdrop Fairy. The Burbank native is a senior at Providence High School. She has been a ballet student for 13 years and has been en pointe for seven years. She is considering majoring in ballet when she goes to college next year.
In March, Lauren passed the Royal Academy of Dance’s advanced exam with distinction and attended the Joffrey Ballet’s summer intensive program.
She was invited to the Joffrey Ballet’s year-round trainee program in Chicago, but decided not to go, so she could finish her senior year of high school.
Brooke Sinton, 15, also of Burbank, started dancing at age 2 1/2 at the Red Chair School of Performing Arts in Burbank, which is now RC Dance Center, and a few years ago transferred to the Los Angeles Ballet Academy.
She is a 10th-grader at Brighton Hall, a private school in Burbank, and she would like to become a professional ballerina. She also passed the Royal Academy of Dance’s advanced exam with distinction in March. Last summer, she attended the Jillana’s summer intensive program in New Mexico, the Joffrey Ballet Chicago’s summer intensive program and the New Ballet School’s summer intensive program in Silicon Valley.
Brooke is very familiar with dancing “The Nutcracker” ballet. She will perform the lead in the Chinese Tea Dance in the production.
Even though Brooke has performed in the Chinese Dance for nine years with the RC Dance Center, this production has new choreography.
“It still has a lot of the same elements because it’s a classic ballet, so there’s certain things that are carried through all versions but there are subtle changes,” she said.
Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at the Alex Theatre Box Office at (818) 243-2539 or visit www.alextheatre.org.
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.