There are so many times I feel incredibly grateful to be able to take pictures for a living, and last week was one of those times when I flew down to Orange County for a last minute trip to document my 87 year old grandmother's tap dance recital. My grandma has been tap dancing since she was ten years old, and I remember her trying to teach me steps, like the drum roll, when I was little, but unfortunately, they never stuck. At any rate, I didn't want to miss this recital and so I spent the day with her as she prepped, attended dress rehearsal, prepped again, and finally performed. During the recital, which comprised primarily of dance performances by children, her teacher brought my grandma on stage for an impromptu jig. The amazing thing is that my grandma is not dancing in a class for seniors - in fact, her class is made up of some adults who are probably just a few years older than me and many who have dancing backgrounds.
It was so beautiful to watch my grandma and see her in her day to day life. Lately, when we've been together, it's with other family members and so I rarely get to see her in her element: going to and from her activities, interacting with her dancing buddies and the friends who came to cheer her on, resting at home with her cat. I am so thankful to have had this day with her. Grandma, I love you so much and you are an inspiration to us all!
Below is a little snippet of video that I grabbed of my Grandma tapping:
Grandma Taps from Alison Yin on Vimeo.