Even a recent knee-replacement surgery can’t keep Roger off his feet.
A month after his procedure, the dance teacher was back in the studio.
“I’m not doing pirouettes or double tour jetés, but I am teaching,” he says.
He credits his lifetime of dancing for his quick recovery — a skill he and his wife, Yvonne, also a professional dancer, spent decades honing.
The couple, who have been married for 50 years, teach classes at the McBurney YMCA on West 14th Street. Between them, they’ve worked alongside Bob Fosse and Elvis Presley and have danced in movies and shows both on Broadway and off.
“The energy I have now at 81 is equal to what I had when I was 21,” Yvonne says.
And it shows: She teaches 15 classes a week, while Roger teaches 11. They’ve also designed a program, Grooves Young at Heart, aimed at seniors.
The most important rule of the class? Never stop moving. “I don’t even let them stop in between songs!” Yvonne says.
Besides, there’s no reason to slow down.
“We love dance, and we love each other,” says Yvonne, prompting Roger to chime in: “I feel like this is the happiest time of my life.”
Cardio jazz dance with Yvonne, Saturdays at 1:45, and core training with Roger, Saturdays at 2:45, $25/class, McBurney YMCA, YMCANYC.org
