Unlocking Teresa Lefrancois

We handed the keys to San Diego’s beloved dance-floor icon to uncover how it all began, what keeps her moving, and why she shows no signs of slowing down.

You’re a familiar face on every San Diego dance floor. When did you first fall in love with raving?

“First CRSSD Festival. I had been in San Diego almost 2 months, and I was walking by the Star of India around 6 PM in September, the first CRSSD Festival. CRSSD was in full swing and all the beautiful people, young beautiful people, were filtering in. The beautiful sound of EDM music pouring out onto Harbor Drive brought me to my knees. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was just fabulous. I had just come from Seaport Village, dancing and listening to a cover band. I immediately fell in love with EDM. CRSSD only has the best DJs from all over the world so I was spoiled rotten right from the gate.”

How did dance become such a big part of your life? You’ve said you found your “chi” through it, what does that mean to you?

“I lived up in Napa Valley for 17 years. In 2016, I moved to San Diego. While I was up in Napa, I immersed myself in ballroom dancing for about three years before I came to San Diego. I took ballroom dance lessons (Arthur Murray studio, private lessons, group lessons) for a period of three years. So essentially, I went from ballroom dancing to raving; what a stretch!

The definition of Chi is life-force energy, and that’s what dance does for me. It brings life-force energy into my inner self and allows me to have immense joy!”

Do you remember your first rave or festival? What was that experience like?

“My first rave festival would have been the second CRSSD Festival. They almost didn’t let me in. I bought a ticket and started to go in and everybody said, ‘Oh no ma’am, the hotel is next door. Oh no ma’am, you don’t want to come in here.’ It was quite stunning. I had to show them my ticket for them to let me in line. Once I got in, I got heckled, people started yelling, ‘Oh, what’s my grandma doing here? What’s my mom doing here?’ So I went up to one of the promoters and said, ‘Am I not supposed to be here?’ When I looked around I noticed everybody was under 30 and then there was me, 63 years old!

After about the fourth time I attended this festival, I started to get street cred because I could dance pretty well to that music. So now I have been to 20 CRSSD Festivals consecutively!”

You’ve been spotted at almost every major event at almost every venue. What keeps you coming back, night after night, year after year?

“The love of dance brings me back to all these festivals. I started to go to the beer festivals, to the North Park festivals, any place where there were DJs or bands. Now I really just prefer DJs. I just love EDM over and above any other genre. I started to get recognized everywhere. Everybody loves seeing me, so that was really a nice turnout to be welcomed into that PLUR community.”

People love filming or taking photos with you. How do you feel about that kind of attention?

"I am now going on 73 and I really love the fact that I can bring happiness and joy to these young people just by dancing -something that I love to do. I never tire of people taking pictures with me. I never say no. I’m kind of bewildered that they even care about a 73-year-old lady!”

Through your Instagram posts and comments section, it's clear the San Diego scene adores you. What does this community mean to you personally?

“I’ve never had a negative thing in the five or six years that I’ve been posting on TikTok and Instagram said about me — that’s quite the miracle. I love everybody. I feel blessed to be a part of these young people’s lives.”

What’s your go-to spot to dance in San Diego these days? Is there one that always feels like home?

“My favorite venue certainly is the Waterfront. I just love the vibe there — the Star of India hovering over the beautiful property. But I also like the Courtyard on 13th and Market, and I love Mavericks and the Firehouse in Pacific Beach. Fabulous places to go and listen to the DJ and dance my heart out.”

Raving can be physically and emotionally demanding. What’s your secret to keeping your energy and spirit so strong?

“Energy feeds off energy. I have a lot of it. I’ve been doing yoga for about 15 years, 2 to 3 times a week without fail. I do stretching, weights, and walk every day. I do a lot of bodywork that helps keep me healthy. Also, I’ve been sober over 20 years and I also try to eat right, but I do have some stomach problems so that’s always a challenge.

I also work part-time during the week as a caregiver (more like a companion) to elderly women. Having a purpose through working, hobbies, and healthy living makes life a little bit better.”

Do you ever think about slowing down or “retiring” from the dance floor, or is this a lifelong thing for you?

“Dancing feeds the soul. I don’t know why I would ever stop dancing unless I broke my leg or became frail and unable to physically do so. Dancing is a really wonderful way to keep the mind and body connected. Those dance lessons I took also helped me with music theory, so all the movement and all the steps are connected and you have to be in the moment to be a fairly good dancer. And that’s what keeps you connected and grounded in the moment of the dance.”

You’ve caught countless sets over the years, which DJ or performance stood out to you the most, and why?

“Cassian is one of my favorite DJs, I just love everything about him. He connects with the audience and has a little bit of a Latin flair. He is fabulous. Fisher’s high energy and constant movement on stage makes him one of my favorites. I just love his whole vibe.

Disco Dom puts on a show like no other, with the dancing girls, the bubbles, and a bit of a Vegas style. He was just fabulous at the last CRSSD Festival. I fell in love. And let’s not forget the newcomers over the summer at the Hard Rock Hotel. They have a rooftop pool party of about four DJs called Liquid Sunshine, and I heard some young new DJs there that were just fabulous!”

What message would you give to any ravers just starting out?

“Listen, there’s no new ravers at 63 years old. The new ravers that are coming into the scene are in their early 20s. That’s what makes everything so fabulous. I love the Gen Z energy and vibe and that PLUR mentality that brings warmth and love to these gatherings.

Most people over 50 don’t like this electronic music, it would be like forcing opera onto a Gen Z. You either like EDM or you don’t. It’s a genre of music that either appeals to you or doesn’t. There’s country music, opera, rap, Latin, all genres that appeal to different people.

When you mention raving to most people, they associate it with drugs and crazy behavior, but that’s not true. These events cost a lot of money to get into, sometimes up to $300. These are people that are doing well in life. Most of the kids that I talk to are all graduates of UCSD, San Diego State, or universities or state colleges in the US. They’re good kids and they have a bright future, and I’m glad that they accept me into their milieu!”