Sisterhood of Adat Shalom
presents
A Connection
Local dance competitor recalls
her mother as she dances.
LYNNE GOLODNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
J
udie Goodman dances for her
mother.
The 64-year-old oncologist/
hematologist takes to the dance
floor with her husband, Kurt Vilders,
and competes with dance instructor
and Huntington Woods resident Art
McDuffey as a way to relieve stress
from her high-powered career as med-
ical director of oncology services at St.
Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac.
She also dances to stay con-
nected to the mother she lost at age
10: Ruthie Goodman, a pioneer in
Detroit’s Jewish dance community
and one of the first modern dancers
locally, who succumbed to breast can-
cer at a young age.
“I danced for many years at the JCC
on Curtis and Meyers with the Young
Dancers Guild, under the direction of
Harriet Berg,” says Goodman of West
Bloomfield. “Of course, we did many
Jewish dances, Israeli folk dancing in
addition to modern dance.”
Judie Goodman competing with her dance
instructor Art McDuffy
Now, the Temple Shir Shalom
member focuses mostly on traditional
ballroom dancing as a creative outlet
as well as for exercise.
In fact, Goodman prepared for
months to compete at the 18th
Michigan Dance Challenge, which
was held April 3 at The Henry Hotel
in Dearborn. She was among 8,000
entries at one of the country’s largest
contests and Michigan’s largest dance
competition, started by entrepreneur
Mark Brock as a way to bring together
all the dance studios and dancers in
Michigan in a good-natured, friendly
competition.
She placed in every category she
danced, although American Rhythm
was her best. She placed first in
Multi-Dances and first in Closed
Bronze Scholarship. She also placed in
American Smooth and International
Standard. Also, Fred Astaire Dance
Studio in Bloomfield Hills, owned by
Evan and Lada Mountain, won top
studio.
“It was a great competition,” she
said. “Wonderful dancers, wonderful
teachers, wonderful camaraderie. I
have met many great friends through
dance.”
Goodman says preparing for a
dance competition is all about per-
fecting technique — and focusing on
the basics.
“Really, you’re always competing
against yourself,” says Goodman, who
grew up dancing ballet, jazz, modern
and African dances but abandoned it
as she built a career and family. Later,
she returned to dance via a fundraiser
that introduced her to ballroom.
“If you love to dance and you can’t
dance, you feel like something is miss-
ing,” says Goodman, who endured
a knee injury that sidelined her for
years.
“I dance because it keeps me con-
nected to my mom,” says Goodman,
who chose her career as well due
to her mother’s battle with cancer.
“Dancing is a wonderful way to relieve
stress and go into a different place.
And while I love competing, I also love
dancing with my husband, who has
taken lessons with me for years.”
Goodman is a member of
Federation’s Maimonides group
as well as a member of National
Council of Jewish Women. She has
two children, Elliot Vilders, 31, a
Detroiter, and Lauren Vilders, 29, who
lives in San Francisco and works in
Facebook’s research division.
For more information, or to watch
Goodman dance, visit
michigandancechallenge.com. •
Lynne Golodner is chief creative officer/owner
at Your People LLC, a public relations and
business messaging development firm.
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“Living Life Through the Lens”
A Female Perspective
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Complimentary Coffee Corner
10 a.m. - Noon
Shop Our Amazing Boutiques
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Luncheon and Program
Noon
Luncheon catered by Quality Kosher Catering
Woman of Distinction
Honoree
Trudy Weiss
Adat Shalom Synagogue
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Questions? Call the synagogue office, 248.851.5100
Register online at http://adatshalom.org/events/donor-day-2018
jn
April 26 • 2018
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