Dream Supremes Senior Dance Team Set for Atlanta Dream Debut

July 23,2010

What do you get when you combine Lady Gaga, the Rockettes and 12 “ grannies”? The Dream Supremes!

The WNBA Atlanta Dream’s “Dream Supremes” senior ladies dance team will make its debut on July 25 as the Dream host the New York Liberty. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 pm at Philips Arena.

Comprised of 12 very active seniors, the Dream Supremes will perform at various Atlanta Dream home games. The ladies will also make appearances at events throughout the metro Atlanta community.

The average age of the “Dream Supremes” is 62 years. Between them, they have 26 children and 22 grandchildren. The roster includes a professional photographer, an Atlanta City School principal, a leading Atlanta caterer, a media liaison, an image consultant, some real estate professionals, and several retirees. All are unified in expressing the powerful message of women taking center stage and encouraging people of all ages to stay active.

“There is nothing that enlivens me more than doing things from the past that seem more fun now than they did when they were considered age appropriate,” said dancer Annette Marcus.

The idea for the “Dream Supremes” was sparked by Marcia Jaffe, a vice president of the Buckhead Business Association and a retired marketing professional. Jaffe was inspired by Atlanta Dream owner Kathy Betty’s speech at a Buckhead Business Association meeting in which she shared her vision of the Atlanta Dream as a winner on the court and in the community.

“I was impressed with the financial risk Kathy had taken, and her mission to expose young girls to positive female role models, using participation in sports as a vehicle for success,” said Jaffe. That same week Jaffe saw a CBS Evening News segment featuring the Sun City Poms, a Senior Women’s Dance team in Arizona that has performed for 25 years.

Jaffe called upon A.J Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, to bring all the parties together.

Enthusiastic senior women were recruited to begin practice with the Dream’s “Shooting Stars” dance team and dance choreographer Karen Shmerling, who performed in New York with the SKIDMORE dance troop. The team practices three times a week in preparation for their performances.

The tight-knit group is ready for their debut on center court at Philips Arena.

“Life gets more challenging as we age,” said Marianne Broadbear, the team’s oldest member at 71. “This makes me feel like a kid again.”

Media Contact:
Tonya Alleyne (404.683.5181) or Tonya.Alleyne@atlantadream.net
Sprague Paynter (404.561.0421) or Sprague.Paynter@atlantadream.net