The New Florida Follies dancers go through a dress rehearsal Jan. 14 at the Countess de Hoernle Theatre in Boca Raton, the day before their 2023 debut performance. The Follies range in age from 50-somethings to 94 years old. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Sallie James
Highland Beach resident Holly Budney spent most of her professional career managing theater productions from backstage, so when she tapped her way into the spotlight with the New Florida Follies last month, the occasion was momentous.
Her dancing debut with the glitzy troupe marked the first time in more than 40 years that she found herself on the other side of the curtain. And performing for a crowd and bowing to applause that erupted from an audience of her own fans was a thrill.
“I hope I can do this for another 30 years and maybe I can,” Budney said, laughing. “As a first-timer I was really welcomed into this sorority of dancers who help you be the best you can be.”
At the tender age of 65, Budney may be on to something. She’s one of the most junior dancers of the high-stepping troupe whose membership includes 50-somethings, 60-somethings, septuagenarians, octogenarians and a 94-year-old retiree who can do the splits on stage and get back up herself.
The cast includes former professionals from the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, June Taylor dancers, NFL cheerleaders, Las Vegas and Latin Quarter showgirls and a range of amateur dance lovers for a total of 38 dancers.
The members dazzle in showy costumes, matching wigs, shimmery stockings and snazzy tap shoes. And, boy, can they dance, whether it’s tap or jazz.
Backstage, there’s a flurry of activity as dancers scurry amid racks of feathered costumes, trays of accessories and fancy shoes. Wigs, makeup, makeup brushes, mirrors, tissues, duct tape and hats clutter dressing tables near more dress racks loaded with sequined finery.
On stage, iridescent blue and fuchsia streamers swirl in circles around dancers’ bodies, creating a pinwheel effect.
“It’s an absolute circus,” Budney confessed with delight during a recent dress rehearsal. “I have always been behind the scenes directing, coordinating costumes and coordinating sets. I feel like I am back in seventh grade doing my seventh-grade dance club.”
The Follies 2023 show — Magic, Music & Mystery — kicked off Jan. 15 with a performance at the Countess de Hoernle Theatre at Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton. Five other shows are scheduled in February and March at three locations in Palm Beach and Broward counties.
The nonprofit organization raises money for charities that benefit kids, primarily through contributions to the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale; Make A Wish Southern Florida Inc.; and Ukulele Kids Club Inc.
To date, the New Florida Follies has raised more than $800,000, said director and choreographer Cheryl Steinthal, a former Rockette.
Steinthal, 68, joined the group in 2015 as a dancer, which she continues to be. She is hoping more “young” people like Budney join the Follies so they can keep the dance group going for a long time.
Holly Budney (center) is a new member of the New Florida Follies. Budney, 65, of Highland Beach, had a career managing theater productions before stepping out on stage last month.
As a new member, Budney found that performing was an adventure made easier by the savvy backstage dressers who made sure the quick costume changes worked, even though at times it was all a “bit scary.”
Steinthal said dancers like Budney are exactly who the Follies are hoping to recruit.
“We want to bring in young, vibrant people so we can keep this legacy going on forever,” Steinthal said.
P.S. The New Florida Follies have a secret: Dancing keeps them young and dancing keeps them going.
“I never would have imagined at this time in my life I would be dancing on stage the way I am,” said Steinthal, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and went on to perform after braving surgery and chemotherapy.
“We feel that dance keeps us vibrant, keeps us alive, keeps us going. If you get dizzy you sit down. You stop feeling dizzy, you get up and dance again. That is the way we really work. We won’t let anything stop us.”
Budney hopes her tap-dancing routines work the same magic for her in years to come, and connect her with the apparent fountain of youth her dance sisters have discovered.
“Theater and dance have been my passion since forever,” Budney said. “It’s funny, because when you are 65” in this group, “you are a kid. It’s so much fun.”
If You Go
What: New Florida Follies
When: All shows 2 p.m.
• Feb. 5, March 19 and March 26 at Countess de Hoernle Theatre at Spanish River Community High School, Boca Raton
• Feb. 26 at Township Center for Performing Arts, Coconut Creek
• Feb. 19 at Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker, Fort Lauderdale
Tickets: $35
Information: 305-596-7394, www.TheNewFloridaFollies.com
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