Manuel Marcilino and Karen Wang dip and sway at St. James Senior Center in downtown San Jose.

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THE WISH: FOOD AND GIFTS FOR SENIORS' CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCHEON

Seniors tango and jitterbug for health and happiness

vinh Trinh loves to dance.

``Ooh la la, it is my passion!'' he says in a charming French accent, rolling his eyes heavenward, remembering the Hanoi and Saigon nightclubs of his youth. This tiny Vietnamese grandpa, with thinning gray hair, draws crowds of dancers to the St. James Senior Center in downtown San Jose with his fast music and slow smile. Then he gets them all sweaty.

``He's the best host in town,'' says Carolyn Mosby, the center's director. ``He's our treasure.''

Trinh, a volunteer at the center for 10 years, makes CDs for the seniors' daily dances from disco, swing, slow songs and rock. And the seniors rock out. They cha cha, they tango, they jitterbug, they waltz.

On Saturday mornings, the senior center dance hall looks like a nightclub. The crowd of Vietnamese, Chinese and Caucasian dancers, the women dressed to kill in high heels and glittering evening wear, swing to ``Love Don't Leave'' and ``You Got the Power.'' Trinh shows up whenever he can get the car from his son.

``I want to help old people keep moving,'' says Trinh, 81. ``Dancing is good for arthritis and depression. It keeps you healthy and happy.''

Each senior center has its own personality, Mosby says, and St. James is known for its active, fun-loving members. The seniors, 75 percent Asian and most on low, fixed incomes, pack the dances, play rousing games of pingpong and mah-jongg, do tai chi and a whole lot of socializing. Often 300 seniors a day visit the center.

This peaks on Christmas Day with a luncheon for 500 and a dance to a custom CD made by Trinh of Christmas songs that emphasize rhythm. It's a CD you can really dance to.

Volunteers prepare and serve the popular luncheon, which is free to the seniors. Each donation of $7 (20A) pays for the food and a small gift at each place setting.