Few things top the spectacle of an NBA game, especially when it’s the white-hot Cleveland Cavaliers playing at home on New Year’s Eve.
Fire shoots from the ceiling scoreboard. Lights swirl and flash. It’s a festive place with a festive crowd on a festive night. On and off the court, folks expect a show; tonight they’ll get one.
Waiting just off courtside are arguably the Cavalier’s most popular entertainers: the Wine and Goldies dance team, a group of high-energy dancers, all over 50 and all ready to show the crowd they’ve got moves to spare.
The team of 20 dancers in matching black jogging suits and sneakers is set to take center court during the second timeout of the game. They stand in a small passageway a few dozen feet from where the Cavs and Atlanta Hawks are trading shots on the court.
The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd is primed. The Wine and Goldies get the signal: it’s go time. There’s no other way to say it: the crowd goes wild.
Expectations
Part of the appeal of a Wine and Goldies performance is the initial thought that these are someone’s grandparents who found their way onto an NBA court. Many of them are grandparents, that’s true, but there’s nothing haphazard about their routine.
The dancers quickly take their place at center court; the arena lights dim, the spotlights blast dizzying bursts of colors and, for 75 seconds, all eyes are on the Wine and Goldies. The music starts slowly — that’s the expectation part — then segues into an energetic, fast beat. The routine this New Year’s Eve features Prince’s “1999.”
The Wine and Goldies stomp, shimmy, sway and kick; their weekly practices have paid off. They’re confident, animated and a bit sassy, too. They’re giving fans just what they wanted, if not exactly what they expected. They’re terrific.
“It’s definitely a workout,” says Angela Hanley, 59, of Kent, a team member (and one of the dancers on this magazine cover). “I have always wanted to be a Cavs dancer. I just love to dance and I love the Cavaliers.”
Rob Gibson, 65, of Shaker Heights (also on our cover) is one of three men on the team. “I always say I was coerced into it, “ he says with a laugh.
“I think there’s a segment of society who thinks, “I can’t believe old people are dancing,” but it possibly may inspire older people to dance.”
Center Stage
The Wine and Goldies are among the organization’s nine entertainment groups that range from the 216Stix rhythm drumline to the Pogoliers, a pogo stick stunt team.
In 2018, Katie Gibbons, the Cavs Senior Manager of Dance and Entertainment, was given the task to create a senior dance team, similar to others around the NBA. She reached out to local senior centers and held a few pop-up dance classes to generate interest. The first audition drew 100 people.
The Wine and Goldies first performed for the 2018-2019 season, and again the following year. Like most of us, they were on hold because of the pandemic in 2020-2021 but they’re back for six games this season.
“This is a way to celebrate dancers of all ages. The crowd just absolutely loves them,” Gibbons says.
Some of the Wine and Goldies have extensive dance backgrounds, but that’s certainly not true for most of them. At the very least, they all enjoy dancing and have the ability to learn routines. Members are professionals; the Cavaliers pay them for their time and talent. Auditions are held in the summer.
Third-year team member Steven Pastor, 71, took dance and tap lessons at the Rocky River Senior Center after he retired. It was there that he saw a flyer announcing auditions for the team. It was a natural fit. The Fairview Park resident is a longtime member of the North Coast Men’s Chorus and has experience in community theater.
“I’m somewhat of an exhibitionist, in a good sense,” Pastor says. “Even though our venues were never as large as the FieldHouse, I just felt like I was in my element. Once the music starts, you close out everything and you’re just concentrating on the steps.”
“I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be from the crowd, but from the get-go, we’ve had great response. We’re (drawing) off the energy the crowd gives us and also the feedback from the Cavs administration,” he says. “The audience doesn’t expect us to do these hip hop moves. They’re expecting one thing and getting something totally different and a surprise.”
All three dancers praise the Cavaliers organization for making the experience fun while still setting expectations high. They like being on the team, representing not only the Cavs but also what it looks like to age with enthusiasm in Northeast Ohio.
Hanley says, being a Wine and Goldie to her means, “I’m alive and I can have fun. As long as you live you never have to stop.”
Marie Elium is a terrible dancer, but she loves to do it, anyway. She’s Boomer’s editor, a job that, fortunately, requires no dance skills.
Photo: Wine and Goldies team members Rob Gibson and Angela Hanley photographed by Stephanie Park at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
