What began as a whim in the late 1970s has endured as a mainstay in Pittsburgh's holiday parades and at special events.
Steel City Angels Dance Company is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Jerry Chiappinelli of Penn Hills formed the group in 1979 as a hobby.
"I got the name from 'Charlie's Angels,' " Chiappinelli said. "It's endured because of dedication. I never give up on anything."
He thinks the group is the oldest dance troupe of its kind in the United States; he hasn't been able to find any other performance-based adult groups that are older.
The group is not a dance school.
Dancers, who all are 18 or older, must have experience to join the mix. Chiappinelli said his background is in insurance and politics; he isn't a dance teacher.
Erin Odorisio, 24, of Monroeville is one of three directors in the group.
"Jerry is there for the business aspect of it," Odorisio said. "He doesn't know about dancing per se, but he knows the business."
The directors choreograph routines and lead rehearsals, but they are not instructors.
"I had been dancing forever, and once I was out of high school and college, I realized there are not a lot of opportunities for adults to perform," Odorisio said.
"Steel City Angels are what dreams are made of," Chiappinelli said. "This is to make up for all those years your mom paid for dance lessons. Life is boring; this is like a dream."
The women spend a lot of time together, he said, and often plan activities outside of rehearsals and performances.
"Angels is a family," Chiappinelli said. "Every Angel wants every other Angel to succeed."
He said many women who danced as children give it up after high school and resign themselves to life in a cubicle. Steel City Angels offers another option.
"The fact that we get to perform throughout the year is a big factor for me," Odorisio said. "It's a nice little extracurricular to do after work."
Performances mostly come in the form of parades these days, but when the group began, the Angels were the queens of the Pittsburgh nightclub scene. The women were regulars at the Holiday House, a former nightclub in Monroeville.
In those days, the Steel City Angels opened for everyone from Chubby Checker to Tiny Tim to Charo.
"I had to tell Chubby Checker to keep his hands off of the Angels," Chiappinelli said with a laugh.
The women perform about 20 times a year in various parades around the Pittsburgh area, and the group routinely wins awards during those events. Chiappinelli often sees the Angels of tomorrow watching the dancers in awe.
"Seeing the little girls' fascination with the Angels makes me smile. I hand 'em a card and tell 'em, 'When you grow up, join the Angels,' " Chiappinelli said.
Some Angels stay in the group for a long time -- one retired after 14 years. There is no age limit. One Angel retired a few weeks before her 50th birthday, and no one knew her age until her retirement party, Chiappinelli said.
Today there are 3,350 retired Steel City Angels, who call themselves Angel Alumni.
At one time, Chiappinelli had 36 dancers and sent two separate dance groups to events booked on the same day.
These days, there are about 20 Angels.
Sarah Connors, 27, of the North Hills is another Steel City Angels director. She has been with the group for four years.
"When you're my age, you can either teach dance or do nothing, unless you're going the professional route," Connors said. "I wanted to dance and perform but not as a professional. This is a great opportunity to keep dancing and stay in shape."
In January, the Steel City Angels performed at Disney World together.
"I have so much fun with the performances. I love to dance. I can't imagine not dancing," Connors said.
Chiappinelli said the most important aspect of his role is keeping the members safe. Over the years, Chiappinelli has played many roles in the dancers' lives, and been there for marriages, divorces and births.
"He loves working with us," Connors said. "He's very supportive of the team and wants us to do our best. He's always out there trying to book us new shows and get us out there."
Odorisio said Chiappinelli would do anything for any of the Angels.
"As long as you're in good standing with him, you can call him for anything. You can call him if you're stranded in the middle of nowhere," Odorisio said.
"I think we have really good leadership; Jerry knows what he's doing, and the directors who came before us have always tried to make it fun for everybody."
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