The show must go on, despite dancer’s setbacks

Dancing has always been a part of Christa Long’s life. As far back

as she can remember, back to her days as a youth in Berlin, she

danced -- often by herself. Today is no different and, as you read

this, the 67-year-old is probably dancing in her Newport Beach home.

Formally trained as a teen in ballet, Long has danced, taught and

choreographed professionally over the years. About four months ago,

Long set out to put together a troupe of men and women 55 and older

so that she could choreograph it to perform for many of you. So far,

she has about 15 members.

But she’s hit a snag. She needs a place where the group can

rehearse. Over the last four months or so, she’s been looking and

asking -- and asking again, and again.

And her search continues. And she hopes, as I do, that her search

will end here. After all, there must be someplace in Newport-Mesa

that has a large enough space that’s not in use for an hour or so

once or twice a week that can host 15 people and a teacher.

If you’re interested, but not yet completely sold on providing

some free space to some nonprofessional dancers -- including a

doctor, lawyer, community activist and retired teacher -- read on

because Long’s story is an easy sell.

Born in Berlin in 1936, Long discovered early on that her feet’s

desire to tap was unstoppable. When she was 12 -- “late by ballet

standards” -- she learned to dance from an assistant at the Berlin

State Opera.

It was then that she prepared the costumes of about seven other

girls in her apartment building and choreographed a number for other

residents at a summer fest event.

“The inhabitants of my apartment house thought it was adorable,”

Long said Thursday. Little did she know then that 55 years later,

she’d still want to put on such shows.

Just eight years later, in 1956, Long married and moved to

Rochester, N.Y., where her husband of 46 years, Gerry, would get his

doctorate in music from the Eastman School of Music. His career then

took them to Jacksonville University, where he taught in the music

department.

Christa got it in her mind that the school needed a dance

department, so she tried talking them into it.

“Lo and behold, they believed me, and they built me a dance

studio,” she said.

When she started teaching at the school, she had about 10

students. The number eventually climbed into the hundreds. Among

those students was William Forsythe or, as Long calls him, Billy. She

taught him for about four years in the 1970s, at one point taking him

to audition for the Robert Joffrey Co. in New York. Today, Billy

directs the Ballett Frankfurt in Germany.

But all of her successes and enjoyment have also been met with

tragedy. In 1996, a pickup truck broadsided the Longs’ Cadillac

Seville on Coast Highway. The impact to the passenger’s side sent

Christa into a coma that lasted five weeks. Mind you, this was just

six years ago.

But for the most part, Long is fine now. In fact, she thanks the

dancing.

“The doctor said it was probably the ballet training that saved

me,” she said. “The flexibility.... It gets a little better every

day. I will get there because I want to. I’m very grateful for my

training because it forces me to get my body back into shape.”

Amazingly, Long says she’s glad it happened.

“I feel that it was all for the good. I just have to try

harder.... I’m very pleased I have the stamina to go on. I’ve never

been afraid of hard work,” she said.

But while that may be the case, it’s probably best that Long uses

her determination and hard work not to find a place to dance, but to

actually dance and teach others to dance. She’d offer her own dance

studio at home to her will-be students if she could, but it’s too

small for that task.

So, if anyone could spare some space a couple of times a week --

albeit more before a performance, she says -- she’ll make it worth

everyone’s while.

“I have always thought it would be incredible to do with old

people,” she says of her choreography. “If the group will be what I

think it will be, it will be fantastic.”

* JAMES MEIER is the city editor. He can be reached at (949)

764-4324 or by e-mail at james.meier@-latimes.com.