Ballroom Dancing Which I STILL lOVE After 40years

I started to compete with my ballroom dancer lessons in about May 1978 after I had begun dancing lessons when I was 43 and my husband was 47. Oh how he did not want to go, he learned to love it, though he never admitted it until about age 65. We social danced, no comps for him. Once when we were in Kansas City, Kansas, he was going to try and compete, but he changed his mind. I saw the schedule of a comp in Vienna Virginia and I saw that I was scheduled to dance 3 heats in the morning and 4 in the late afternoon. I called her and asked her if she could schedule my divisions all in the morning because my Mom was not well and I could not be away all day. She said she would get back to me and the next day she emailed me it would be fine. She had me dancing all 7 before one PM. So I did and I was able to be home with my 7 trophies and much love to her for being so considerate to me. I wrote an article in the magazine I was senior page editor of all about a professional coach and judge who showed such kindness to me and I would never forget her. Her name is Ricky Geiger

Now it is 38 years later and I no longer compete and hopefully one day after my wicked knees become golden knees again with these new shots I am getting , today is number two out of three given one week apart and I will dance.

Maybe, I could, maybe, I should compete one last time here in Vienna and I know she sold the comp, I think I heard that, but she surely may stop by and I will see her again. When I was giving out awards in one of my articles last week or so, I could go to my second round of awards and Ricky would be one of that group. She would be number one of the second group for what she did for me, that summer season to enable me to participate in the comp and most of all to win.

I showed Mom my trophies when she came to visit that weekend and she was so proud of me. She remembered when she gave me lessons when I was around 12 and they cost 10 for 20 dollars, quite a big amount of money in those days. They were half hour lessons and there were 10 neighborhood girls and one boy. Poor lad, he did not want to be there. Her name was Ella L. Banks and it was across the street from a funeral parlor.

There is a saying and, not mine, our kids are our jewels and my dancing is one of my jewels. I have 58 trophies and medals for my comp days with my professional teachers as my partner. There are jewels which are real jewelry, jewels our parents, jewels our children and grandchildren and sports such as dancing, it is my special and rewarding jewel. You are never too old to learn and to be happy doing it.

Elita Sohmer Clayman Fairfax Station Patch