Golden Oldies strut their stuff, bring energy and style to Miami Heat auditions
Decked out in red, white and black, seniors took to the dance floor Thursday at the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center in Pembroke Pines for the annual Miami Heat Golden Oldies dance auditions.
Music ranging from salsa and bachata to Bad Bunny set the tone as more than 70 participants competed for the 20 coveted spots on the team.
The Golden Oldies, now in their 20th year, are known for bringing high energy and personality to halftime show performances at Heat home games.
Each season, 20 dancers are chosen, with participants required to be at least 60 years old by audition day.
For many auditioning, the opportunity was about more than just making the team.
Maxine Reed, who turned 60 just two days earlier, called the event a personal milestone.
“I’m just excited and scared. I haven’t tried out for anything since 1983,” said Reed, a Pompano Beach resident. “This is more of a scouting year for me … and if I get lucky, it’ll be a great birthday gift to make the team.”
Even though it’s her first year participating in the event, Reed said she already has goals set and ambition locked-in.
“I’m going to give myself five years to make the team, and then I’ll cut it if I don’t make it,” she said.
Others decided to join the dance-off simply for the sake of trying something new.
John Buckman, 69, a Miami Beach resident and lifelong Heat fan, found out about the opportunity through the team’s email newsletter.
“I feel great, I think it’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s crazy,” Buckman said. “... I’ve never done anything like this before in my life.”
For returning Golden Oldies dancers, tryouts are a chance to continue the joy of performing.
Amalia Bauza, 76 and originally from Cuba, has been part of the Golden Oldies for five years and said she hopes to make it her sixth.
“It’s incredible to put together the choreography and then see it all come to life,” Bauza said. “Arriving at the arena when the time comes, that is amazing. The nerves and the crowd yelling is incredible.”
Bauza described the competition as tough, with many familiar faces back for the tryouts.
“Almost everyone from the last team came to audition again,” she said. “We just celebrated our 20th year with the Golden Oldies and there’s people that have eight, 12, 16, 18 years dedicated to the Miami [Heat] Golden Oldies.”
Natalia Gonzalez is the director of entertainment for the Heat and oversaw the auditions. In her third year managing the Golden Oldies, Gonzalez said she doesn’t just consider technique when selecting dancers.
“They have to have star power,” Gonzalez said. “Dancing I can teach, but I can’t teach personality … they have to have a certain aura when they step into that room.”
Gonzalez said she saw a lot of new faces this year at the auditions. She’s a former Heat dancer and, before that, taught and coached in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
With more than 20 years of dance experience, she said her goal is to keep the auditions challenging, but above all, fun.
“Everybody’s going to be stressed,” Gonzalez said. “But if you come into it to have fun, no matter what the outcome is, you’ll leave better.”
As the new cohort of the Golden Oldies dancers were chosen at the end of the audition process, they were immediately brought into their first team meeting, including Bauza, who will return for another season.
For Bauza, commitment to the team extends beyond the dance moves.
“This is a responsibility we have with the public because they love us, nothing left but to dedicate your whole life, heart and soul,” she said.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 9:49 AM.
