NEW YORK CITY — Hazel Seiden can check Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade off her bucket-list because she and her daughter, Isabella, make their tinsel-toe debut in today’s appearance of The Tap Dancing Christmas Trees in New York City.
The “Christmas Trees” are led by Dance 10 founder Pamm Drake in Alameda, California, where Hazel and Isabella train.
“I began tap in Plattsburgh with Miss Pat at the Langlois Dance Studio,” Hazel said.
“Miss Pat was the teacher. I was probably like maybe 6, 7, 8, something like that. I danced for a couple years, and I didn’t dance again until my daughter went off to college and I needed something to do. She was part of the competition team at this dance studio. She went off to college and I started taking tap classes there, adult beginning tap classes.”
Of course, Hazel knew how to shuffle, but had to learn all the fancy steps at 58.
“It was incredibly joyful to make music with your feet, and the dance studio is just this really special place where everybody is welcome whatever your ability is,” she said.
“I really attribute it to them. They just have created a really joyful, welcoming community.”
‘I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’
Dance 10 dancers received an invitation to become a Christmas Tree.
“After two years of lessons, I was invited to become a Christmas Tree,” Hazel said.
“I was beyond excited and called my daughter screeching, ‘I can’t believe it!’ I got invited to be a Christmas Tree in 2018.”
The Tap Dancing Christmas Trees originated as a Dance 10 Performing Arts finale 33 years ago. Many times afterwards, Drake was asked, “Whatever happened to those Christmas Trees?”
“This is the sixth time they’ve been in the Macy’s Parade,” Hazel said.
“This is quite a lovely organization that has been doing this for a long time. I just am lucky I get to be part of it.”
Fifty-seven trees flew from Alameda to New York City for the Macy’s Parade.
“It’s really a lovely, lovely thing,” Hazel said.
“Certainly, I am one little tree in this forest of loveliness that they (Drake and director/owner Ryan Justus) have created.”
In 2020, Isabella became a Christmas Tree, too.
“She’s 25, and I’m 65,” Hazel said.
“We get to tap together in this parade, so it’s really special.”
There are several other family Christmas Trees’ configurations participating also.
“I’m super excited,” she said.
“It’s really fun. I’m so happy to being doing it. I grew up on Leonard Avenue (in Plattsburgh), and who would imagine that a girl from Plattsburgh is going? When you’re a kid, you watch the Macy’s Parade. To be in it, this is my huge, bucket-list like life goal, and I’m just so thrilled to be doing it.”