Dancers gather to honor Patrick Swayze

Deseret News wire services

Published: Thursday, Nov. 5 2009 12:00 a.m. MST

Lisa Niemi accepts the 2009 Rolex Dance Award on behalf of her late husband.

Richard Termine, Associated Press

Enlarge photo»

Before Patrick Swayze was a film actor, a TV actor and People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive," he was a dancer.

And so it was fitting that a huge, eclectic group of dancers gathered to honor him this week at the annual fundraiser for Career Transition for Dancers, a group that helps dancers develop new careers after age or injury forces them to halt dancing.

Swayze had been chosen as this year's honoree well before his death in September of pancreatic cancer at age 57. His wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, seemed to tear up as she accepted the Rolex Dance Award on his behalf, telling the crowd her husband was now "dancing with the angels."

Get The Deseret News Everywhere

Subscribe

Mobile

RSS