102-year-old Alice Barker was a famous chorus line dancer back in the days of the Harlem Renaissance, in the 1930s and 40s. Dancing at legendary clubs like The Apollo, Cotton Club, and Zanzibar Club, she performed with some of the most celebrated names in the golden years of show business: Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.
When asked how many years she danced, Barker replied: “That’s all I ever did, that was it!”
But in all her years under the spotlight, she had no videos or pictures to remember them by.
Enter David Shuff. He was a friend she met when he brought his therapy dog to her retirement home years ago, and who became aware of Barker’s past.
After searching far and wide, Shuff found the prized videos with a short musical films collector. Barker finally had the opportunity — at 102 years of age — to see herself and relive her younger days in the chorus line.
Watch the sweet moment below:
It’s no question that one of the most emotional parts of the video was when one of the nurses asked, “How did it feel seeing yourself?”, to which Barker replied, “Making me wish that I could get out of this bed, and do it all over again.”
