Dancing is a timelessly joyous activity, certain to bring people together no matter the age. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the residents of Rittenhouse Village in Portage celebrated with a Senior Prom Thursday, complete with appetizers, old-time classics and dancing.
Heart shaped balloons filled the room as residents boogied to ageless hits by artists such as Elvis and Van Morrison, along with a few modern favorites to lift up the crowd.
“The events here are not just about our residents,” said Danielle Balek, Senior Lifestyle Counselor. “We invited community members, seniors, friends and family of our residents.”
Along with the senior community of Portage, the event included Bonner Senior Dancers, who encouraged the residents to get up and dance. It is one of the biggest events of the year, and the residents were pampered by staff who helped them get ready for the long-anticipated prom.
Rittenhouse Village hosts events such as senior prom quarterly to bring the residents and Portage senior community together.
“What makes us unique is that we incorporate our residents into the community as much as we can,” Balek said.
Prom-goers wore various shades of red, and some dressed in gowns as if they were back in the time of their own high school proms.
“It’s great for the visitors to be able to come to the event because we get to mingle with everyone,” said Jenimae Grabszyk, a resident of the Rittenhouse Village.
Grabszyk, a former ballroom dancing instructor, said she used to dance in cities such as Chicago and Detroit.
“It reminds me of when I used to dance.” Grabszyk reflected.“I love watching everyone dance.”
As the event came to an end, attendees chose the king, queen, prince and princess. Larry Cox and Rose Corona were crowned king and queen, followed by Edgar Hansen and Caroline Meyer as the prince and princess. In celebration of their victories, winners got right back to dancing.
For more information on Rittenhouse Village of Valparaiso, visit www.rittenhousevillages.com.