On the dance floor, Phyllis Bogart moves like she\u2019s made of electricity, not metal.<\/p>\n
At 78, her pink-and-purple-streaked curls bounce as she shimmies and shakes with the energy of someone half her age, each twirl punctuated by a wide, wild grin.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear that four hip replacements, a mechanical knee and a string of other surgeries haven\u2019t slowed her down \u2014 though they did earn her a nickname.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith all the titanium in my body, I\u2019ve become known as the bionic babe,\u201d Bogart told The Post.<\/p>\n
Phyllis Bogart discovered the Pacemakers after her beautician recommended she join the group. She\u2019s been a member for four seasons. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
The retired nurse and pharmaceutical rep is a member of the Pacemakers<\/a> \u2014 a precision dance troupe that\u2019s redefining what it means to be a senior, helping people in their 60s, 70s and even 80s stay active both mentally and physically.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m older,\u201d Bogart said. \u201cBut I\u2019m also vital. I\u2019m exciting. I\u2019m active. I\u2019m alive \u2014 and I\u2019m not invisible.\u201d<\/p>\n From cyberbullying to center stage<\/p>\n Founded in 2019, the NYC-based Pacemakers sprang to life after founder Susan Avery faced ageist backlash as the oldest dancer for the Brooklyn Cyclones.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at this old bag dancing, who does she think she is?\u201d one person commented on a video of her performance. \u201cGo home,\u201d and \u201cstay in the kitchen where you belong,\u201d others added.<\/p>\n Susan Avery is the founder and fearless leader of the Pacemakers. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n \u201cThat is how I learned what it was like to be cyberbullied,\u201d said Avery, 65, recalling the 2017 incident. \u201cI was devastated.\u201d <\/p>\n But instead of letting it defeat her, Avery says her daughter urged her to channel the hurt into action.<\/p>\n So Avery placed an ad in Playbill inviting seniors to audition for a new senior dance team. Sixteen performers answered the call.<\/p>\n \u201cOur first performance was July 6, 2019,\u201d she said. \u201cI was so nervous, but we ended up getting a standing ovation \u2014 and our dance card has been full ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pacemakers prepare for their \u201cRocky Horror Picture Show\u201d \u201cTime Warp\u201d performance at the New York Public Library. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Senior moves, global grooves<\/p>\n Now seven seasons in, the Pacemakers boast 47 members and have won fans around the globe with viral performances<\/a> that have racked up millions of views online.<\/p>\n The team performs for hundreds of thousands of fans each year, appearing frequently at sporting events, community centers, festivals and conferences across the Northeast. They\u2019ve even been on The Drew Barrymore Show<\/a> and traveled to Austria<\/a> twice to teach their European admirers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are old, but that doesn\u2019t take away from the fact that we\u2019re fun, we\u2019re powerful, we\u2019re sexy. We\u2019re all these other things too.\u201d<\/p>\n Susan Avery, 65<\/p>\n While you have to be 60 to join, the group hosts workshops and \u201cday discos\u201d open to all ages.<\/p>\n Notably, only two members have professional dance training; the rest come from healthcare, education, law enforcement, journalism and a variety of other fields \u2014 including a lawyer-turned-library worker who writes erotica in his spare time.<\/p>\n Before becoming a Pacemaker, Marguerite Tomasino was the chief of police in the Navy. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n But there\u2019s one thing they all share: a fearless approach to aging.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up, people would say, \u2018Oh, when you hit 40, it\u2019s over,\u2019\u201d Pacemaker Sparkle Lee, 65, said. \u201cNow when you look at us, you realize it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n During performances, each member wears their birth year on the back of their jersey, loud and proud.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s none of this \u2018young at heart\u2019 stuff,\u201d Avery said. \u201cWe are old, but that doesn\u2019t take away from the fact that we\u2019re fun, we\u2019re powerful, we\u2019re sexy. We\u2019re all these other things too.\u201d<\/p>\n Stronger, sharper and still dancing<\/p>\n As the Pacemakers embrace their senior status, members say the group helps them stay well as they get older.<\/p>\n Twin sisters Star and Sparkle Lee also lead praise dancing at their local church. Stefano Giovannini <\/p>\n \u201cI never thought at this age that I would be involved in something so exciting, so energizing, so fun and so challenging to my body and my brain,\u201d Bogart said. \u201cIt\u2019s been the best part of my senior years.\u201d<\/p>\n Studies show<\/a> that learning choreography is excellent for the brain, engaging memory, focus, coordination, timing, rhythm and movement simultaneously. Research suggests<\/a> it helps slow cognitive decline and may even reduce the risk of developing dementia<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s better than standing in front of an audience and just dancing and shaking your tush?\u201d<\/p>\n Serena Kindler, 59<\/p>\n