Palm Aire Women's Club members learn to salsa

At 82 years old, Lakewood Ranch’s Janis Wasserman is the oldest ballet student at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School.

She took ballet classes as a child and began taking lessons again at age 76. 

Wasserman is also a member of the Palm Aire Women’s Club. She invited the Tania Vergara Dance-Theater to perform an excerpt of “Casa Havana” at the club’s monthly luncheon Dec. 12. 

“Casa Havana” is billed as “a dramatic dance-theater story that examines the bonds of family love, romantic relationships and the dynamics between young people full of dreams and the painful departure of a son who chooses to leave.”

A purple sofa and a table and chairs set the scene in modern-day Cuba. With no words and just a few signs to distinguish who’s who among the trio of actors, the story unfolded through facial expressions and dance movements. 

The dance-theater is debuting the full-length version of “Casa Havana” in 2026.

After the show, the audience was treated to a salsa lesson.