Woman, 85, won't give up dancing - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

For many of us, retirement is something we look forward to. Dance instructor Betty Champion, 85, doesn't know the meaning of the word because she just won't quit her day job.

The kicks from the seniors may not be sky high, but the showmanship was definitely still intact. The seniors, named the Sophisticated Ladies, were entertaining a group of summer campers when Good Day Atlanta stopped by for a visit.

The lady at the helm of the extraordinary elders, and who teaches them, is Champion. She's a Massachusetts native, and teaches a full schedule of tap and line dancing in Forsyth County.

Dance student Janet Kimple says she enjoys Champion as a teacher. Another student, Cindy Bowman, calls Champion "amazing."

Champion says she's always loved dance. She did odd jobs as a child to pay for her lessons. Those lessons paid off when she was hired as a Rockette.

"I was only a Rockette one summer and who knew when the war was going to end. And my fiance came home and wanted to get married. You know, young girl. So anyways, and that first marriage went to pot. So if I knew what I knew today, forget it," said Champion.

She eventually owned her own dance studio. After moving to the Atlanta area, she just kept teaching. Champion teaches about 30 new dances a year and the girls enter and win dance competitions all over the area.

"She had to have surgery on her shoulder a few of months ago so she danced with her arm in a sling," said Bowman.

Champion says dancing are her happiest days, and wants to be buried wearing her dance shoes.

She has four children, eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, including two sets of twins. When Champion is not teaching, she goes to a local dance club.