Aiden's Accomplishments, Attainments And Actualities Elita Sohmer Clayman

In ninety percent of the articles I write, I talk about the benefits of ballroom dancing to everyone and especially to seniors. Here is a heartwarming and true story of what it has done for a little boy in New Jersey. His name is Aiden Marin and his mom took him for ballroom dance lessons in the studio, where she is a student also. He has Autism and she is stunned at how far he has attained competence and the benefits her son has received from learning to dance. She says “the benefits to Aiden have been multi-dimensional, inspiring, reflecting physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth.”

As most Autistic children have trouble with recreational activities such as sports, in dancing, he has had no trouble with ballroom dancing. It has given him the opportunity to blossom, communicating better and he even asks other dancers to dance with him.

They learn to have confidence in themselves and they learn to let go of their fears and anxieties. Autism causes them to have good contact with their partner, maintain good posture and social habits become easier for them. It also gives them, as to all of us dancers, good self-esteem. She says in her writings called Aiden’s Waltz that “from a boy who did nothing but watch as other children played soccer, he rose from the shackles of Autism to dance with the grace and elegance of a swan across the ballroom dance floor.”

When we were at a dance competition in 1983 in Miami Beach, Florida, there was a boy suffering from a spastic disease. He shook a lot and walked slowly. His mom had him enrolled in a dance school and the lovely and wonderful female teacher taught him to dance and to hold his head high and his posture was lovely. He did several exhibition dances with her and he won trophies. Everyone was elated at his progress and the joy on his face and in his eyes was something to behold. It was like a rainbow of beauty and it brought many a tear to the viewers’ eyes. Afterward, when finished dancing, he still had his spastic problems, but he was like a different person, because he had excelled in something so great that it let him overcome for short periods of time, his terrible illness.

I do not remember his name, but I remember him shaking my hand when I complimented him on his gracious and outstanding dancing. His hand shook when he took my hand, but it was a marvelous feeling for me as an adult of forty-nine years to behold such beauty, love and accomplishment on his part. Also, his lovely teacher was commended for what she instilled in him; that he could do it and he would succeed and most of all, he would be triumphant.

Aiden and this young man I knew are outstanding examples of what mankind and boy kind (just made up that word) can actualize, regardless of their disabilities.

Aiden’s mom Victoria says that “classical music notes now that music facilitates self-expression, creativity and sociability in children. It reduces stress, and the heart rate slows which causes the mind to be receptive to learning, self-esteem and it leads to improvement in the creative thinking process.”

I have always said in my many former articles on ballroom dancing, that it gave me peace, higher ego feelings, confidence and love. It assured me, that I was a special person learning a specified work of physical activity and accomplishment.

This is why I ‘preach’ so much about it in my various articles and shout to the readers, that it is never too late to try to learn ballroom dance.

Look what it has done for Aiden and my young friend in Florida from 1983 and I do pray that Aiden sticks with it, finds even more joy with it, prospers and we know that this could lead to a more productive life for him from all that he has learned from ballroom dancing. When he walks into the room with his shoulders and head held high, he indeed deserves to feel as delightful and fulfilled as he already is and as time progresses, he will feel even more happiness which he certainly deserves.

He is the prime example of the beneficial rewards of dance. He is more than a swan, he is a beautiful human, who has spread his wings and a really talented, good person and may the soles of his feet bring him the rewards for his beautiful soul.

This is Aiden’s Waltz as his mother calls her writings; if I may add an addendum to that, I would say it is Aiden’s Accomplishments, Attainments and Actualities. Aiden is a Four Star ‘A’ young man and I am proud to know about him from mom’s writings.  I will no longer complain about my aching knees, because I just got to know Aiden through the Internet.

Aiden is a Star who is soaring high in his life and that ballroom dancing is helping him, makes him high unto the sky and he shines so brightly, we can all see it.