Dolly Ortloff and Edward Harmon waltz to songs played by Chris O'Connell, who performs with the Young at Heart Project at Twilight Manor in Santa Cruz.

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THE WISH: MUSICIANS' FEES AT RESIDENTIAL, CONVALESCENT FACILITIES

Big-band songs of their youth have seniors stepping out

dolly Ortloff two-steps across the floral carpet in her orthopedic shoes.

The stars at night,

Are big and bright, (bum bum bum bum)

Deep in the heart of Texas.

She rests her peach-painted nails over gray-haired Edward Harmon's shoulder, grinning like a schoolgirl. The 80-something couple picks up the pace a bit, from barely moving to shuffling right along, swinging to the guitar-strumming sounds of their old favorites.

``I used to go to every dance that came around in high school,'' says Dolly, reminiscing. ``We danced to the big bands.''

It's morning activity time at Twilight Manor, a retirement home in Santa Cruz. The seniors, some with Parkinson's or Alzheimer's diseases, are transported back to the '30s and '40s, when bands played in ballrooms and they could dance all night.

Chris O'Connell, a Young at Heart performer, is one of many professional musicians who entertain seniors with songs from their youth. The non-profit group delivers 90 such shows a month to convalescent homes and retirement centers throughout Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, reaching thousands of seniors. Most don't get out much and many don't have regular visitors.

If you should survive to a hundred and five,

Look at all you'll derive out of being alive.

``How about a waltz?'' says Chris, in between dashing up the stairs to visit residents restricted to their chairs by arthritis or wobbly knees. He leans in close to the hard of hearing, helps the fragile up to dance.

You've got to accccccentuate the positive! he belts out, then moves on to a 1943 crowd-pleaser, ``Oh What a Beautiful Morning.''

And the crowd joins in.

Wish Book readers can keep those beautiful mornings -- and afternoons and evenings -- coming. Each donation of $150 (13A) pays for a typical Young at Heart performance. The cost of seeing the smile on a senior's face: priceless.