Nancy Jordan knows the secret to securing a dance partner: she has to be ambitious.

She was just one of about 110 seniors who attended the Dartmouth Council on Aging’s Valentine’s Day dance on February 14, hosted by students from Dartmouth High School’s National Honor Society. Eager to dance, she moved from student to student on the dance floor.

“In dance, you can’t be shy. You have to take the bull by the horns,” she said as she wrapped up a dance with Dartmouth High senior Eben Rose.

For at least the past decade, National Honor Society students flock to the Senior Center on February 14 to treat seniors to a day of dance and food. This year, 48 students cooked homemade food, organized music, and even took an informal dance class at the high school, said staff advisor Catherine Madsen.

Among the students treating seniors to dancing: Ben Paine. As he stepped off the dance floor, he noted the community connection the program brings.

“It’s our way of getting out in the community," he said. “I’m not much of a dancer, but I did like it.”

He floated between several dance partners, including Jordan, attending her first Valentine's Day dance.

“I never came by before, but I’m so excited to be here and see these young people who put so much effort into this,” Jordan added.