Dancing In Your Later Years

I feel as if I have always had dance in my life. Although this probably isn’t 100% true, as there were moments in my life, long moments; medical school, post graduate training and early motherhood, that I did not formally dance. Despite that, I feel as if dance has always been in my body and music has always moved me to dance.

I think that is it, the music has always been there, and I have always moved to it.

Some adults start dancing, or start dancing again, because they want exercise, or they want to try something new, or because they’ve always dreamed of dancing. I started dancing again because I saw a sign. Literally. It said: “Auditions for Colors Of Love Show’, Latin and Burlesque. Amateurs welcome”. It was posted in the window of a dance school that I sometimes passed when downtown.

Now, if I have ever been confident about anything, its been about dance. This was not a challenge for me, as much as a calling. So I showed up on the date and tried all the beautiful moves my very talented instructor demonstrated to our aspiring group, such that I signed up with the group and performed in the first ‘Colors of Love’ in 2014.

I think I did well enough, that first time; but more importantly for me, this experience opened a whole new dance world to me as it created a previously unknown connection with my local dance community. This new world was filled with dance opportunities, dance performances and different dance styles. It was filled with new connections with instructors and especially with new relationships with people who loved dance as I did, and who have become some of my closest friends.

So these days, I dance regularly, mostly ballroom and also Afro- Brazilian dance. Dancing keeps me healthy and fit, yes, but even more, it gives me life outside of family, outside of work and 48 h shifts. And it gives me an alter ego which may actually be the real me.