In a nursing home, there’s nothing unusual about seeing plenty of grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and even great-great-grandmothers.
But some very special Grannies paid a visit to Kenosha County’s Brookside Care Center on Thursday.
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies stopped in to entertain a large roomful of residents and staff with their finger-snapping, toe-tapping routine that's usually found in parades across southeastern Wisconsin.
Dancer Colleen Minisce said visiting nursing homes is a new act for the Grannies, who have been performing in parades since 1984.
"We just started doing it this year, to give back to the community," Minisce said. "For people who can’t get out to the parade, we’re bringing the parade to them."
For the Brookside residents, that meant dance numbers that sent the performers and their pompoms up and down the aisles, set to recognizable tunes like "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Celebration," "Born in the USA," and the Dancing Grannies’ signature song, "We Are Family."
The "family," in the case of the Dancing Grannies, includes performers who range in age from 57 to 78. The eldest member has been with the group for 18 years, Minisce noted.
After the show, the members of the Brookside audience had the opportunity to pose for pictures with the Grannies, bringing wide smiles to the residents, the staff and the performers.
"I liked it," said a beaming Nick Guarascio. "It was nice. They were really good!"
Another resident, Kitty Gott, swung her hands back and forth and bobbed her head along with the beat throughout the performance. And then she entertained the Grannies with a few pompom tricks of her own while she posed for a photo with them.
"I like entertainment," Gott said. "I;m glad everybody's smiling."
Note: Brookside Care Center is still actively seeking applicants for a variety of employee positions including Certified Nursing Assistant, Life Enrichment Assistant, Environmental Service Worker, and nurses of all experience levels. Learn more at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/jobs.