As an RN Phyllis derived a great sense of purpose from her career of helping others. Today—along with fun—she continues to enjoy a life of purpose.

The first time I saw a Pacemakers’ video, I could feel it. Watch this clip and you’ll know why:

I feel the love, feel the excitement.

And the first thing I noticed about Phyllis was her excitement when she spoke about dancing; I could hear it in her voice, I could see it in her eyes. She loves it, she loves life.

When I asked Long Beach gal, Phyllis Bogart, how she feels when performing, she said, “It’s the most exciting feeling; I like watching the audience. When they’re happy, I’m happy. It’s a mutual give-and-take. It’s an accomplished feeling.”

Phyllis is a proud member of the Pacemakers dance team. They’re a team of dancers between the ages of 60 and 85 who embrace their age—they wear their birth years on their backs.

The Pacemakers don’t try to hide or disguise their age. Phyllis said, “We’re proud of it. We want people to know that you can remain vibrant even as you age. We always laugh and say, Well, what’s the alternative to growing old?”

Nothing holds Phllyis back. Her enthusiasm, I’m sure, makes her a model for all in her condo building and beyond.

She said, “Some people say, ‘But I had this surgery, I had that surgery,’ For the record, I’ve had four hip replacements, one knee replacement, neurosurgery, and femur surgery. You can still move!”

Phyllis said, “We all have a nickname that we put on our hats; mine is Bionic Babe.”

Phyllis said, “As a teenager, I was never in great shape.” In school, she said, “I was bullied. And when you’re sizable, you study more. So I was a really good student.”

She said she took dancing when she was young, “Ballet, tap. I had friends and all that, but I was not outgoing. I became more outgoing in my senior year of high school and then in nursing school.”

But as she got older, she said she continued to dance, “I liked most things that are active, like scuba diving, things like that.” She even did belly dancing.

As an RN, Phyllis worked primarily at NYU Medical Center and later at a scuba diving school in the Bahamas, followed by a position as a school nurse.

Now, at seventy-eight, Phyllis is retired and in the Pacemakers. She said, “It’s very diverse in every way, including size. Because you can be large and dance if you like. You can be a Pacemaker.”

Susan Avery created the group, and Marissa Montanez is their choreographer.

Pacemakers don’t have pacemakers. Susan, who welcomes dancers, says they’re Pacemakers because “we dance with heart.”

The Pacemakers are a group of about thirty who rehearse for three hours every Saturday in Manhattan. Some are from Long Island, Jersey, Staten Island, and a couple from upstate.

Phyllis said, “We usually dance about fifteen people; we have alternates. Someone has a hip problem, a knee problem, a shoulder problem. We have people on the disabled list all the time.”

As the Pacemakers soar to greater success, they are getting more gigs. Phyllis said, “You need more people so that you don’t burn out.” But when they dance, they love it.

They even love the travel.

They play at mostly minor league games: The Brooklyn Cyclones, the Westchester Knicks, the Hudson Renegades, the Jersey Somerset Patriots, and the Jersey Blue Claws.

Phyllis said, “Sometimes we carpool, sometimes we all meet and take the train. We have a lot of fun.” When we do the Cyclones games in Coney Island, we get soft-serve ice cream after it. It’s so good. You get rewarded.”

What fantastic social interaction!

As the Pacemakers continue their minor league performances, they’ve moved on to even greater experiences.

Phyllis said, “Our choreographer, Masrissa Montanez, who’s younger, is a big TikTok person.” Marissa is a choreographer/teacher and doesn’t dance with the Pacemakers, but does their choreography.

Phyllis said, “She had us do TikToks that went viral. And we did the Lady Gaga Master Card Challenge.” She said, “We’re on Lady Gaga’s Instagram page.”

They danced at CitiField for the NY Mets.

Phyllis said, “We actually danced with the Mets dance crew. They’re young, and it was a nice melding of young and old. They were so sweet.”

Phyllis said, “I may be chronologically old, but I’m keeping my body a bit younger. The big thing today is depression among old people, young too. With dancing, you feel better about yourself.” She said, “I know some people who just sit and wither because they have no stimulation. You need social direction.”

Once a year, the Pacemakers hold auditions. This year, it’s October 18th.

Phyllis said they “look for the desire to dance, the ability to learn choreography, and wanting to be in front of people. We pay for our own costumes and our transportation, but it’s worth it.”

Some dancers in the Pacemakers are heavy. But, Phyllis said, “They dance and they’re happy, full of joy.”

The Pacemakers are now international.

Phyllis said, “We went to Vienna, Austria, last year. We taught dance workshops. So we’re international. Ten of us went. We performed on TV’s, Good Morning Austria.”

Later, four people from the Austria workshops came to America and danced with the Pacemakers.

Fun, we need it in our lives. But we also need something else in life—a sense of purpose.

(My own brother, in assisted living, would be depressed sometimes. But he increased his happiness exponentially when he found purpose there. Music.)

As an RN, Phyllis knew accomplishment and purpose in life.

Now, in retirement, when Phyllis said, “…It’s an accomplished feeling,” I heard—fun with a sense of purpose.

Phyllis is helping to get many off their butts,

to bust some moves out of their ruts.

The Pacemakers say, “In your face, old age!”

Phyllis exudes joy when she speaks of the Pacemakers. She said, “It’s just gotten me, it’s got me out there. It’s just like, Wow! Yes! I have to say it, I just love it!”

Be well,
Leebythesea

See my alternate photo essays Wherethesundontshine