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Wednesday Bliss
Read more: Wednesday BlissI’ve been taking private ballroom lessons regularly on Wednesday afternoons for the last few months. That hour is the perfect midpoint of my week! My teacher is helping me polish American Smooth Waltz, Tango, Viennese, and Foxtrot bronze level routines. Each style has its own personality, and dancing them brings out different facets of my…
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Shakin’ My Groove Thing
Read more: Shakin’ My Groove ThingHello! It’s been too long since I last posted because, well…Life. Including unexpected early retirement, family medical challenges, traveling, finishing my novel, et cetera. But I’m happy to report that I have in fact danced a lot since my previous post. After a friend gave me a salsa lesson gift certificate for my last birthday,…
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Dance Therapy
Read more: Dance Therapy[[Note: this post was written in May, 2024]] Dancing is my preferred form of therapy. Heartbroken and fresh in the shock of betrayal that ended a three year relationship, I forced myself to attend a West Coast swing class followed by a social dance. It was out of my comfort zone and I was numb…
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A Valentine to Dancing
Read more: A Valentine to DancingWell, I survived another Valentine’s Day – a holiday charged with societal expectations that are hard to live up to even if one is in a romantic relationship. It is also celebrated by (single) women as “Galentine’s Day.” This holiday I’m focusing on love and gratitude for my galentines who inspire me and have supported…
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Humbled
Read more: HumbledThis week and last I took two adult tap classes and private ballroom lesson. I loved them all for different reasons, and my teachers are all great for different reasons. One tap class focuses on performance choreography, and the other on classical training and tap history. Tapping in sync with a group of women at…
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New Year, More Dance!
Read more: New Year, More Dance!Happy New Year, friends! I am thrilled to be resurrecting my 2017 dance blog and happy you are reading this! Fall 2023 was challenging for me, as I was very ill with pneumonia for several months. One of my goals/intentions/resolutions for a joyous 2024 is to dance as much as possible and I’m off to…
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Joys of Tap Dancing
Read more: Joys of Tap DancingWhen I was around five years old I started watching Shirley Temple movies on our old television, enthralled with the tap dancing routines of this talented charismatic girl around my age, lighting up the screen. I memorized her moves and tried to reenact scenes in my basement to escape family dramas upstairs. It would be…
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Staying Centered
Read more: Staying CenteredLast week I gave a big presentation for work. My colleague who has seen me give numerous talks over the years commented afterwards that he has never seen me so calm. Usually my heart races then I speak too quickly, rushing to finish and not enjoying the experience. “What was different this time?” he asked.…
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Fellowship
Read more: Fellowship[[Note: this post was first written in June 2017, then updated September 2026.]] In 2016 I flew alone to Spain to hike the the last 100km of the oldest pilgrimage in Europe, the Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James. Since that life altering experience, my journey of spiritual growth, self-discovery, and healing has…
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Confidence
Read more: ConfidenceA few years ago when I was recently separated and in the depths of despair, my friend and hairdresser Gina, who had been telling me about her ballroom dance hobby for years, encouraged me to take a trial lesson at her studio. “One day can bend your life” is a quote I like from Mitch…
Life Lessons from the Dance Floor
inspirational musings from a dancing scientist
Dance Quotes
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul…The body says what words cannot…Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.” – Martha Graham
“To dance is to be out of yourself – larger, more powerful, more beautiful.” – Agnes de Mille
“Do it big, do it right, and do it with style.” – Fred Astaire
“Dancing is silent poetry.” – Simonides
“There are shortcuts to happiness, and dance is one of them.” – Vicki Baum
“…nobody’s secure, and nobody feels like she completely belongs…But some people dance anyway, and those people have more fun.” – Glennon Doyle
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene
