Huff ‘n Puffs: An Exercise Group That Takes Some Extra Steps

The other day I was invited to lunch by Deborah Schell, who is site manager of the Huntington Beach Transportation, Lunch and Counseling program for seniors who are interested in reaching out to new friends. It was a special occasion on two counts: first, the center was celebrating its fourth anniversary, and second, entertainment was to be provided by a dance group known wonderfully as the Huff ‘n Puffs.

They came on before lunch so the dancers could break bread with the regular members after performing, and I will admit I awaited their appearance with some trepidation. I knew the dancers were all in their 70s, and although we are virtually peers and I am sure I could duplicate most of Astaire’s routines if somebody would just teach them to me, I was still uneasy that the dancers might prove to be more of an embarrassment than an entertainment.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. They were terrific.

They came out first in bolero costumes to do a samba--eight agile women with sparkling eyes and ebullient energy who were clearly enjoying themselves. Over the next 45 minutes, they did “April Showers” in black slacks and spinning umbrellas; the “Charleston”; the “Hokey-Pokey” in dickies, white goggles and bows; “Hernando’s Hideaway,” featuring a lead dancer carrying a rose in her teeth; and a barn dance. The finale was appropriately “I Ain’t Down Yet” (from “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”), performed in top hats and tails with some honest-to-God high kicks.

The costumes were splendid and creative, the choreography highly imaginative within the limitations of the dancers, and the energy palpable. Music was supplied by a sophisticated sound system purchased several years ago with a grant from Disneyland that recognized the group’s service to seniors.

The director, Kay Bradbury, and the newest member of the chorus line, Lorene Otsen, sat at my table and were eager to talk about the group. It started as an exercise class in La Habra in the mid-1970s. Music was introduced to make the exercising more palatable. Then in the summer of 1978, a professional dancer named Cathe Rennie came to visit a friend at the La Habra Women’s Club where the exercise class was holding forth. Rennie heard the music, watched the class, and asked if the members would like to learn some simple dance steps to make the exercises even more fun. They would and did.

Rennie was so intrigued by the way they responded that she donated her time for several hours every week to expand their repertoire. Word got around, and the group was asked to perform some of its routines at the Brookhurst Center in May, 1979. They have been on the road ever since. In 1987, they performed 73 times, in places ranging from convalescent homes to the Orange County Fair and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“It’s very rewarding therapy for us at our time of life,” said Kay Bradbury. “We benefit so much from what we’re doing. It’s such a magnificent feeling to get up in the morning knowing there is something we have to do that day.”

How much do they practice?

Otsen, casting a mischievous eye at Bradbury, said, “It’s supposed to be two hours but a lot of it is talk.”

Bradbury wasn’t buying that. “We work hard,” she said, “But we have to spend a little time at the beginning talking over the requests that have come in and finding out who can go.”

There are currently a dozen dancers to draw from, and the dates are filled if enough dancers are available. None of the group ever danced professionally, and there are no prerequisites for new members.

The Huff ‘n Puffs passed a milestone two weeks ago when Chorine Florence Sandford became the first member to turn 80. Most of the present group has been involved from the beginning, and the Huff ‘n Puffs now have 32 routines in their repertoire. They also have a vacancy. Cathe Rennie recently moved to Nevada, leaving the group without a choreographer.

“Cathe’s going to send us tapes of new dances, and we’re relearning and improving the dances Cathe taught us,” said Bradbury, “but we’d also like to find a new choreographer. We can’t pay anything--Cathe donated her services--but maybe we’ll find another professional who will help us.”

If there are any choreographers out there--senior or otherwise--who are willing to accept their pay in satisfaction, check out the Huff ‘n Puffs. And if you want to book them, call Kay Bradbury at (213) 691-7021. She will try to fit you in. They are guaranteed to lift your spirits and expand your parameters.