Someone You Should Know: 98-Year-Old Dancer Lester Goodman
(CBS) – He's 98 years old and has been dancing for more than 80 years. He did the Charleston when it was new.
CBS 2's Harry Porterfield says hoofer Lester Goodman is someone you should know.
After dancing for nearly 90 years, Goodman has not lost his touch.
Born in Chicago on July 4, 1915, he won a dance contest when he was seven and received a turkey as a prize.
"My mother was pleased because that's food, but it was a prize so naturally I was satisfied," he says.
He learned architectural drawing in high school, got a job in the city's zoning department. But at age 20 he decided to become a professional dancer. That was the beginning of a career lasting 70 years.
Goodman traveled extensively and did Broadway shows, supper clubs, night clubs and the theater.
He appeared frequently on television, not only in the U.S., but also in Canada and Europe.
Along the way, he earned a reputation as a teacher, show producer and choreographer, working for a time with the Temptations.
In Chicago, he was co-founder of the highly respected Joseph Holmes Modern Dance Company.
So what are his thoughts about his remarkable career?
"I'd do it all over again, I'd do it better because I've learned so much now that i didn't know then," Goodman says.
