BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the past quarter of a century, the dance classes taught by former Rockette Jean Anne Widlicka have become a staple of the Amherst Senior Center.

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"Mean Jean," as she's lovingly referred to by her students, is the nickname she received as a result of her strict teaching style. Her students know that she's because she cares, and Widlicka wants them to be able to move their bodies for as long as possible and will encourage it any way she can. She often throughout class calls out to her students, "Let's show them what we can do."

Widlicka's journey with dance began when she was 3, performing on a USO tour during World War 2. Some of her credits include the Ed Sullivan show, dancing with a young Morgan

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