Indoor dance scene with adults seated at tables, surrounded by chairs and spherical light fixtures; large group gathering or social event atmosphere. 2:36

Watch his feet as this senior couple dances

Sam and Ellen take the floor at the Grand Nationals with silver hair and one song, "Gonna Move Across the River." The room is murmuring. It'll not stay that way. more

The dance is the shag, a kind of swing dancing where most of the action happens below the waist. Done well, the feet seem to slide and the knees look like rubber. Sam and Ellen do it well, quick and sure through every swing turn and dip, and his feet skate around as if the floor was made for them.

An older man and woman dance together on a stage while people watch from seats. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Sam and Ellen dance the shag while the crowd watches from their seats.

A lot of the praise lands on his legs. Ellen holds her own, though. Fans called her cool and elegant, and one noticed how hard Sam works to steer the eyes in the room toward her, not just himself.

By the last notes, the whispers have turned into a standing ovation. When the competition is decided, Sam and Ellen have first prize.

Indoor dance scene with adults seated at tables, surrounded by chairs and spherical light fixtures; large group gathering or social event atmosphere. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Sam and Ellen take the floor at the Grand Nationals with silver hair and one song, "Gonna Move Across the River." The room is murmuring.

Some of the warmest notes came from people who know a thing or two about birthdays. A 72-year-old, stuck at home on a bad day, said it brought a smile and a better mood. Someone else wrote about a dad, now 85, who used to dance the jitterbug with the girl cousins at weddings, and promised to finally learn.

#dancing