You may recognize Val Jones as one of Lakeside’s more colorful characters – the super-friendly lady with the big smile, piercing blue eyes and spiky blond hair that is often highlighted with colors such as purple and turquoise.
A dancer since childhood, Jones has been an integral part of the dance community since 2005, when she and her husband, John Ward, moved to the area from a small town in Colorado. Getting involved in local dance pulled her out of – what she thought would be – her retirement.
Says Jones, “I noticed that Lakeside had no shortage of singing communities, but had to ask myself, where is the dance community?”
Her first step to cranking up such a community was to convince Helen Gallagher, a Royal-Academy-of-Dance-trained dancer and teacher living at Lakeside, to teach ballet to adults.
“Helen continues to teach adult classes next to the Auditorio and the students absolutely love her,” Jones says.
Before long, Jones started teaching tap classes, all the while dancing and choreographing in various shows, including the annual Lip Sync show. Each year, along with her husband, she participates in this popular benefit to raise money for Ajijic’s Auditorio de la Ribera.
For the show’s upcoming three-day run, starting Friday, January 18, Jones is busy choreographing a number for three dancers, transforming them into “Martha and the Vandellas,” as they perform a tribute to Aretha Franklin.
Jones’ two performances in the show include a challenging Riverdance number with others in her advanced tap class. She’s also a backup singer/dancer in a Bette Midler number.
Says Jones, “I credit my ability to dance at 56 years old to my degree in physiology, anatomy and kinesiology. While taking classes with the Macon Ballet in Atlanta, the teacher would ask us to do postures that I knew would mess up my knees, so I refused to do them. Knowing all that I knew, I was not going to hurt my body; thus, I saved myself from lots of agony.”
Jones’ husband arrived at Lakeside without any dance background but with plenty of theater experience.
“Says Jones, “John ran his own improv group, hosted the TV show ‘Atlanta Live,’ and took on lots of theater roles, acting, singing and playing the comedian. He’s the ideal M.C for Lip Sync, which he does every year with great anticipation.”
Lip Sync is the only fundraiser dedicated to making improvements for the Auditorio.
“Being that this is an all-volunteer endeavor,” adds Jones, “many of us do this work from a sense of joy, and also because we know the Auditorio is in great need of improvements.”
In 2001, while living in Colorado, Jones and Ward visited Ajijic, where they bought a home for their retirement. Jones owned a Colorado dance studio and dance company, while Ward worked as the studio’s general manager. Dancing, for Jones, goes way back.
Jones says she fell in love with dance at 4 years old while watching her sister take classes with “Miss Sally.”
“Even though I wasn’t allowed to take classes until I was six, there I was with my mom watching from outside the studio and mimicking all the ballet moves.”
Jones’ mother eventually convinced Miss Sally to break the school rules and let Jones join the class. At 5 years old, Jones became the school’s youngest student.
She danced with Georgia’s Macon Ballet until the age of 17, at which time she attended university on a gymnastic scholarship. She later danced with the Atlanta Ballet Company for three years.
“We moved to Ajijic with the full intention to retire, relax and do nothing. Before I knew it I was involved with the ‘Thriller’ performance. That first year there were eight of us dancing in front of the Ajijic Cultural Center, on Halloween.
“Soon, a few of the local choreographers were dragging me into every dance production. Retirement for me was officially over.”
Along with Lip Sync, Jones is one of four choreographers on Lakeside Little Theatre’s 2019 production, “Sweet Charity.” She will be choreographing the ever popular “Big Spender” number. She also carves out time to teach tap at an Ajijic studio and has coached some of her advanced students to teach their own tap classes.
Says Jones, “My classes seem to attract a wide range of ages, including a 75-year-old woman who’s in my advanced class. I’m inspired to see a woman 25 years my senior dancing in my advanced-level class.
“Research shows that dance – especially tap – delays early onset Alzheimer’s. So tap is not only fun, it’s health-promoting.”
Whether she’s teaching, dancing, watching dance or choreographing, Jones loves it all. Clearly, dancing is her life.
Lip Sync takes place at the Auditorio de la Ribera on Friday, January 18, 4 p.m.; Saturday, January 19, 6 p.m.; and Sunday, January 20, 2 p.m. For ticket information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">.