Cleveland, OH - Most senior citizens consider their "Golden Years" a good time to take up card playing, knitting or shuffleboarding. Betty Young of Cleveland isn't one of them.

Young, who will be 67 years old in August, entered the world of competitive ballroom dancing three years ago. Since then, she has been stepping her feet to the rhythm of the Tango, moving her hips to the beat of the Rumba, and flying through the air as her dance instructor lifts her off her feet during the East Coast Swing.

"I really love it. Just the dancing itself gives me a feeling of accomplishment and allows me to feel good about myself," said Young.

Young had first learned how to square dance and clog 30 years ago when she joined the Choo-Choo Cloggers in Chattanooga. However, she decided to hang up her clogging shoes for awhile when she had her children. Four years ago, she rejoined the clogging group.

"One day, I watched a man, who is also in the Choo-Choo Cloggers, ballroom dance, and I thought it looked so pretty. I was invited to join him and some other dancers one night and I took a lesson. After that, I started taking regular lessons," said Young.

Young, who receives dance lessons from instructor Denny Lennon of the Chattanooga Dance Sport on Cromwell Drive, has attended three competitions and two showcases with Lennon in the past year. Her most recent was in Las Vegas this past December.

"The one in Vegas is really big. It's the second biggest dance competition in the U.S. I was really nervous, but it was also exciting."

Young explained there are two main types of ballroom dancing: smooth and rhythm.

"The Waltz, the Fox Trot, the Tango and the Viennese Waltz make up the smooth ballroom dancing and the Mambo, the Rumba, the Cha Cha, the Samba and the East Coast Swing make up the rhythm dancing. The dresses are different for the two styles. Long gowns are worn with the smooth ballroom dancing and shorter ones are worn in the rhythm dancing," said Young.

She also explains the difference in dance competitions versus dance showcases.

"In a competition, there is a pattern of steps taken in regular dances. No lifts can be done in the smooth dancing and at least one foot must be on the floor at all times. In the showcases, my instructor choreographs each routine. For the showcase in Vegas, we did a routine to the song "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy," and we received first place and a standing ovation. There is one part of the dance where my instructor flips me over his shoulder and then flips me in a cartwheel. A lot of people thought it was unique I could do that. Although a lot of women my age can do regular ballroom dancing, there are not many who can do the lifts in the showcases," Young said.

For her next showcase, which will be Friday at Chattanooga State, Young will be doing a routine to the songs "Cry," from the movie "A Walk to Remember," and "Marie LaVogh," which is an old Bobby Brown song. The theme of the showcase is "Movie Night."

When Young isn't moving on her feet, she works part-time at the CPQ Photo Lab where she has been employed since 1980. She travels to Chattanooga every week for dance practice. "I really enjoy it. I guess it's one of the best things I've gotten into. I have a very good instructor. I couldn't do the splits before I met him,"

Young has four children and two grandchildren.