photo by Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph Barbara Farnum of Tyler, left, and Dee Kirkpatrick of Tyler, right, dance during clogging practice Tuesday April 14, 2015 at the Tyler Senior Center.

The Garden Valley Senior Center Clogging Group has become a hit at the Tyler Senior Center. Even the employees are participating. Kay Odom, supervisor at the Tyler Senior Center, is now an active member.

“Dance is the total package,” Ms. Odom said. “Being a dancer my whole life, dance is brain aerobics, flexibility, endurance, it’s just everything.”

Tyler senior Sheila Preddy volunteers her time to the group of active ladies weekly. Ms. Preddy instructs the 14-member clogging group. Clogging classes started with only three dancers, but the class has grown during the past three years. The members range in age from 50 to 80 years old.

“The ladies are wonderful and they are doing great,” Ms. Preddy said. “As new people come, we teach them the steps and move right into the group and they do a beautiful job.”

Preddy has been clogging for 15 years and has volunteered as the group’s instructor for the past three years. The group performs at local nursing homes as well as events and luncheons.

“We like to do about a 30-minute show for performances,” Ms. Preddy said. “We generally end with our patriotic number for the nursing homes because that is music that the 80- and 90-year-old population relates very strongly to, and it brings back memories and makes them converse.”

The Garden Valley Senior Cloggers will be performing at the city of Tyler volunteer luncheon at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Rose Garden Center. The luncheon will honor volunteers in Tyler and the clogging group will provide entertainment. 

“We are always wanting more people to join,” Ms. Preddy said. “Anyone that can clog would be an addition because maybe they could teach us.”

Seniors interested in joining the clogging class can call Kay Odom at the Tyler Senior Center at 903-597-0781.

 

A CLOSER LOOK:

Information on the Garden Valley Clogger group:

Clogging class meets every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.

Location: Tyler Senior Center

Address: 1915 Garden Valley Road

Phone: 903-597-0781