Spotlight! Anoka Stratton
In the mid-1930’s at the age of nine, little Anoka Stratton began dancing to the lively tunes she heard on the family radio. She soon found out she could really get her toes “tapping”. In high school she partnered with a dear classmate who played the piano. They performed together until graduation and remained life time friends.
When Anoka married her childhood sweetheart Jack they became lifelong dance partners. In later years when she started performing again, he was her constant, proud husband. He carried her outfits and buckled her shoes. After raising a family, she began dancing again in 1976 with “Show Time” in Collins, Iowa. She danced for ten years with the Conrad Johns band at Prairie Meadows. In 2005 she was discovered by the great Cay Peet a founder of the Senior Variety Show. As they say, “the rest is history”. She delighted Senior Variety Show audiences for many years well into her 80’s. This sweet, petite gal was a joy to watch as her tiny feet clicked to songs like, “Bigger Isn’t Better”, “Five Foot two”, and “Fascinating Rhythm”. Her professionalism, energy and smile made her a gem of a performer.
