The Stayin’ Alive Crew: Atlanta’s Favorite Over 50 Dance Troupe
Is it ever too late to dance? While most of us might answer an immediate and adamant “Yes!” to that question, two twin sisters are proving that age is just a number and the passion for dance is endless. Created in 2018 by Josette Perez and Janette Hinton, Stayin’ Alive Crew is a group of spirited women over 50 who share the love of dance and performing with the mission to give back to their communities. Below, we catch up with the Stayin’ Alive crew to hear more about their passion and what keeps them in their groove!
What inspired you to start the Stayin’ Alive Crew?
We started as a group of passionate women who shared a love for dance to inspire a desire for life after 50 while making a positive impact and proving age is limitless! Our aim was to maintain youthful minds and bodies. Unexpectedly, one of the most significant rewards has been fostering deep relationships with each other and providing support through life’s various chapters—be it facing a cancer diagnosis, coping with the loss of a loved one, celebrating the birth of a grandchild or sharing the joy of a marriage.
Does everyone in your group have a previous dance background?
Many of our dancers bring dance or cheer backgrounds, while some come with no formal dance experience. A love of dance and a zest for life are things we all have in common. The difference that distinguishes us most is we are a 50-and-over hip-hop dance group. Our ages range from 50 to 73 years old!
How often does your crew practice?
We have two teams that make up Stayin’ Alive Crew– Crew and Mega Crew. Having a higher commitment and more advanced choreography, Crew practices two days a week for a total of 2.75 hours a week. Mega requires a smaller time commitment with simpler choreography and practices once a week for 1.25 hours a week. We estimate that we’ve dedicated 2,496 hours to practice since our inception in 2018.
How do you ensure troupe members stay healthy and injury-free?
We incorporate warm-ups before every practice and a water break mid-practice to ensure we stay hydrated. When it comes to the stunts, we have designated teams that have the physical capabilities to safely perform the stunt. Injuries don’t happen often, but when they do, we support our dancers through their recovery and return to the dance floor.
Can you tell us more about how Stayin’ Alive Crew gives back?
Through our performances, we use our art to inspire, support and uplift our community. We donate our time and talents to support charitable organizations like Susan G. Komen, Kaiser Permanente, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia’s Got Talent, benefitting Dana Farber Cancer Institute and fundraising for Alzheimer’s research. This year, we had the privilege of performing at the Over 40 and Fabulous Fashion Meets Passion charity fundraiser.
How can Atlantans join the Crew?
We accept new members on a bi-yearly basis. We have auditions in January and in the summer. Our next audition will be on January 7 from 2-4 pm at the OneLife Fitness at Crabapple in Alpharetta. You must be at least 50 years of age, and the three qualities we look for are a positive attitude, commitment and a passion for dance.
