There is a

school in Tyrone, the Doris Russell School of Performing

Arts, where people of all ages gather to learn the

secrets of dance.

Doris

Russell, the school's namesake, was a dancing legend who

was the youngest of the 12 original Radio City Music Hall

Rockettes. Her love for dance is transferred to all of

the school's highly successful groups.

One such

group is the Georgia Gold Adult Dance Troupe. The group's

age ranges from 30-something to 70-something, averaging

around 50. The group is made up of business people,

working mothers, retirees, students and homemakers, and

they live in the counties throughout the Southern

Crescent.

Georgia

Gold won the Dance Educators of America National

Championship in Las Vegas in July, performing two

specialty numbers, "All That Jazz,"

choreographed by Stephen Ball, and "In The

Navy," choreographed by Angela Tally. They took home

gold medals and first place national championship awards

in their category. They also performed in the Applause

National Talent Competition, receiving first place in

their category and their division, as well as the

Applause Award, naming them the Most Entertaining of the

Group Competition.

Linda

Robinson and Mary Lou Weibel won gold medals and a first

place national championship award for their tap specialty

number, "Jump-Shout Boogie."

Their

successful summer run began in June with a first place

finish at the Showbiz National Championships. At the

Applause National Talent Competition, Robinson and Weibel

won first place in their category and division, as well

as the Applause Award naming them the most entertaining

of the solo-duet-trio competition, which included dancers

ages 8 to 57. Robinson and Weibel's average is 56.

The Georgia

Gold Adult Dance Troupe performs throughout the Atlanta

area; in WSB's Salute 2 America parade, at Fayetteville's

July Jam and Tyrone's Founders Day Celebration. The

troupe also has performed in ABC's made for TV movie

"Memories of the Last Confederate Widow" and at

the opening ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games.

The one

male member of the troupe, a Fayette County resident and

an air cargo business owner, joined the class because he

had coronary artery disease and his doctor said he needed

to make some lifestyle changes.

A Fayette

County business woman says the sense of pride and deep

satisfaction she finds at dance enhances her pursuit of

personal development as well as her handling of business

stress.

One lady,

who is well past 70 years old, says, "It's

impossible to concentrate on learning complex new dance

steps and worry about my problems or heartaches at the

same time."

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