Dance the Night Away with a Book Talk & Dance Party Alongside Author Christine Walker!
An uplifting event! Join us for a Book Talk & Dance Party on September 28th 4pm-6pm at The Occidental Center for the Arts in Occidental, CA! Author Christine Walker, dance teacher Starr Hergenrather, and exercise physiologist Suze Cohan in conversation about Tap Dancing at the Bluebird, Christine’s novel inspired by her love of dance, her grandmother’s Depression-era diaries, and the neuroscience of movement, music, and memory. The discussion will dip into American dance across the decades and how it reflects our multi-faceted culture. We’ll explore why dancing is good for the brain and the transformative power of dance for health, cognition, and feeling joyful. Starr will demo soft shoe, swing, and salsa and teach some steps. We’ll have a short party with music for dancing your own style.
Books will be available to purchase at the event.
About Tap Dancing at the Bluebird:
A coming-of-age adventure and later-life story celebrating dance and second chances across a century in America
In 1932, roving youth Kip teaches Mattie to tap, and they ride the rails from Kansas City to California, where a perceived betrayal and a crash separate them for a lifetime. At 99, Mattie recalls the boy who set her life in motion and confides regrets to her granddaughter, who discovers past truths for present troubles. With rhythms of tap, modern, and social dancing, this uplifting novel turns upon the question: Is there still time to love and forgive?
About Christine Walker:
Christine Walker has an MFA in Writing and Literature in Fiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars and an MA in Creative Arts Interdisciplinary from San Francisco State University. A visual artist, she is also the author of “A Painter’s Garden: Cultivating the Creative Life” (Warner Books), a consultant in design and strategic visual facilitation with corporations and nonprofits, and a writing teacher.
