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Marilyn Tastet has always loved to dance, especially with her husband before his death. At 78 , she has had to slow down a bit and uses a cane to get around, but that hasn’t kept her from tapping her toes and swaying to the beat.

Tastet is a member of the Blessed Steppers Dance Group and Reading Theatre , which meets weekly at the Carillon senior living community in northwest Greensboro.

“This is an extension of that love of dance and good exercise,” Tastet said.

Melinda Rushing , 59 , a stroke survivor who uses a wheelchair, got involved for the friendship.

“We just all enjoy being together,” she said.

Started a year ago by Nikki DeVeaux , president of AARP’s Northwest Greensboro Chapter No. 3705 , the Blessed Steppers and Reading Theatre is made up of five women who use walkers, wheelchairs, scooters and canes and about 15 who have survived or who are struggling with healing from stroke, cancer, aneurysm, kidney disease, heart disease and Parkinson’s.

“This is not about complicated moves but about learning to dance from your heart and soul,” DeVeaux said. “If you tap your foot and move your hands, you’re dancing.”

The group performs during the holidays and at various functions at the Carillon and for AARP meetings. Although most of the members are residents of the Carillon, the group is open to the community, meeting on at 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Carillon.

“The purpose of starting this group was to, first, age gracefully by building self-esteem in ladies who thought they could not perform due to disabilities or dealing with devastating illnesses,” DeVeaux said. “They were always a loyal audience at other performances, and I wanted to show them that they, too, could focus on what they can do rather than what they cannot and be performers even though they could not do fancy footwork. They use simple movement, hands, drama, laughter, costuming and attitude to have fun.

“The main idea is to heal through music, laughter and other arts,” DeVeaux said. “I found that music, writing, laughter and dance made me feel better, and I wanted to pass it on.”

An engineering analyst and administrator for the Space Shuttle Program in California for more than 20 years , as well as an educator, DeVeaux is not a trained dancer but said she has always enjoyed social dancing.

“Performing arts has always been an avocation or hobby for me,” she said.

DeVeaux directed and produced community theater in the evenings while working at the University of Cincinnati and was “stage mom to my son who attended the School of Performing Arts there and later to my grandson who attended Weaver Academy, Greensboro Cultural Center and other programs here.”

In addition to Blessed Steppers, DeVeaux started other activities, such as a Red Hat Society, Senior Book Club and Steppin’ Out Line Dancers at the Carillon. Many of the dancers are also members of AARP but are unable to attend meetings away from the residential area, so DeVeaux brings AARP meetings and activities to them several times a year.

The Blessed Steppers and Reading Theatre are rehearsing for their next performance, a tribute to Sept. 11. Called a National Day of Service , the program, which will be at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Carillon , was organized to provide Carillon residents with entertainment, refreshments and gifts, to commemorate the events of Sept. 11 and to pay tribute to U.S. veterans, as well as veterans of the retirement community.

“These people come from all walks of life, and it helps adapt to retirement in a fun way,” DeVeaux said. “Now that we are retired, we are all able to be the 'stars’ we dreamed of as children.”

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com