New York Liberty fans are eagerly awaiting whether the current WNBA champions will retain their title as the team heads to Phoenix to face the Mercury in the deciding third game of the first round of the playoffs.<\/p>\n
If the Liberty win on the road, it will bring a lot of joy to the Big Apple \u2013 a blend of basketball and dancing creates a special atmosphere for the fans.<\/p>\n
In New York\u2019s attire \u2013 the famous black and teal-green palette \u2013 fans from Brooklyn will undoubtedly cheer as the Liberty take the court. But they will be just as anxious about what happens before the game \u2013 or during the break \u2013 as Timeless Torches, a troupe of dancers over 40, will perform in front of the audience.<\/p>\n
With the oldest member at 88, the troupe demonstrates energy and warmth that inspire its fans.<\/p>\n
Margaret Hamilton, a 56-year-old legal assistant and mother of two, has led the \u201cTorches\u201d for 20 years \u2013 but she has no formal dance background.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn truth, her dancing experience was limited to going to clubs, dancing in clubs and at home \u2013 in many different houses \u2013 on weekends, birthdays, during cleaning days, when mom and dad played music,\u201d she explains to CNN Sport.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Margaret Hamilton<\/p>\n
Celebrating the Anniversary and the Team\u2019s Motivation<\/p>\n
This year the Torches celebrate their twentieth anniversary. Some of the dancers have remained since the very beginning \u2013 along with Hamilton \u2013 but others joined through auditions over the years.<\/p>\n
In 2005, when her younger children, basketball enthusiasts, were going through the audition for a children\u2019s dance group, Hamilton was offered to stay for the audition to join the adult team. She passed the audition and since then has been an original member of the Torches.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has incredibly changed my life, because I never thought I would be considered a professional dancer,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Margaret Hamilton<\/p>\n
Such feelings are reflected in many other dancers in the group, who enrich the show with different styles and with the personality of each member.<\/p>\n
With experience in cheerleading, dancing and gymnastics, Phyllis Spencer, a fitness instructor, already knew: movement in daily life makes her stronger and happier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt keeps me in shape. It\u2019s such an inspiring thing \u2013 to see dancers who are significantly older than me still doing it. When I\u2019m 60, if they can do it, then I can too,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Phyllis Spencer<\/p>\n
Spencer, who teaches kickboxing, gymnastics and aerobics at the YMCA, calls dancing a natural high and notes that for her it\u2019s a real joy.<\/p>\n
At 88, Shirley Keller is the oldest among the Timeless Torches. In youth she enjoyed ballet, jazz, and tap, but took a break after marriage. Later she learned about the group after seeing their performance at a Liberty game, and came to audition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told everyone at first, \u2018Oh, this seems easy. I can do this.\u2019 And I forgot about it, but one of the women I used to sit beside called me and said: \u2018By the way, auditions next Saturday,’\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Shirley Keller<\/p>\n
Dance group practices take place weekly: members learn and memorize the numbers they will perform before big games, and each season they re-audition for a place in the group.<\/p>\n
Keller explains that it is the \u201csense of family\u201d in the Torches that keeps her coming back again and again. \u201cI used to look forward to it, because my daughter is married, moved out, my husband died \u2013 so this was my family,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you go on stage, I sometimes forget what I\u2019m doing, but the applause and the crowd\u2019s cheers erupt \u2013 and I like thinking that I am there, performing for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The blend of different styles and the character of each Torch is part of what makes the group so popular. \u201cWe have different body types, diversity, backgrounds and all,\u201d adds Hamilton. \u201cThat\u2019s why they can resonate and remember a lot \u2013 because within all of this, among our friends and fans, someone is bound to connect with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
While she radiates positivity, Spencer admits she understands how tough days can come. \u201cEveryone has had their good days. They also have bad days. Sometimes they feel they can\u2019t do it. And I try to encourage them to do at least something small.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has had their good days. They also have bad days. Sometimes they feel they can\u2019t do it. And I try to encourage them to do at least something small.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Phyllis Spencer<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you really think you can\u2019t do it? You should at least try.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Phyllis Spencer<\/p>\n
According to Spencer, this is precisely why the Timeless Torches resonate so deeply with fans: they inspire people of different ages and experiences, and everyone can find something in their artistry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best part is that we truly inspire people of different ages and experiences, and everyone can find something in our artistry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Phyllis Spencer<\/p>\n
That belief in the audience fuels the Timeless Torches: the team shows that sport can blend with art, and it inspires new generations who dream of dance and basketball. Paired with the Liberty\u2019s play and the playoff atmosphere, these performances remain one of the most marketable aspects of the season, underscoring New York\u2019s spirit and the team\u2019s unstoppable energetic character.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New York Liberty fans are eagerly awaiting whether the current WNBA champions will retain their title as the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":167733,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[100982,100983,100984,436,3,100985,100986,99,100987,100988,100981,434,70908],"class_list":["post-167732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-basketball-entertainment","tag-dance-team","tag-liberty-vs-mercury","tag-new-york-liberty","tag-news","tag-playoff-atmosphere","tag-senior-dancers","tag-sports","tag-sports-and-arts","tag-timeless-torches","tag-timeless-torches-new-york-liberty-wnba-playoffs-dance-team-basketball-entertainment-playoff-atmosphere-senior-dancers-sports-and-arts-liberty-vs","tag-wnba","tag-wnba-playoffs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167732"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167732\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}