My ballroom dance story begins eleven years ago when I became lonely and sad after my husband passed away. I was trying to do the best I could, but I found myself in a rut. On my way home from work at the hospital one cold and rainy night, I was feeling particularly depressed. I noticed a group of people of different ages going into a dance studio with a grand opening banner on the window. As I was waiting for the light to turn green, I thought to myself that I should quit feeling sorry for myself and do something to change my life. I quickly made a deal with myself-- if I could find a parking spot I would go in and see what it was all about. I ended up finding a parking spot. Call it karma or destiny! So, I pulled in and hesitated and was making all kinds of excuses not to go in… I was in work scrubs, my hair was a mess, and I was tired. I said “Joyce, stop making excuses and take a chance,”. I mustered up my courage and went in and was greeted by the owner of Anytime Dance, Christopher Richardson. I thought I was going to be pressured and swindled into spending a ton of money, but was pleasantly surprised by his friendly and professional manner. After talking with him, and him explaining the program and asking me a few questions he gave me a brochure on the programs and asked me to do a demo dance with him. I was nervous as I had never done ballroom dancing before. It was fun and I was surprised to discover I really enjoyed it and wanted to learn more. We then said goodbye and he told me to call him if I was interested in taking lessons. No pressure or commitment was imposed on me. I left feeling very comfortable and wanting to be a part of the studio. The rest is history!
Needless to say it has been several professional ballroom competitions and countless friendships and many learning experiences over the past years that have made a big difference in my life. I will be forever thankful and cherish these years forever. I am now 77 years old and continue to enjoy dancing and with my friends. You should give it a try and experience the fun and joy of dancing.
Comments