For fun and fitness, consider ballroom dance
Could it be the perfect activity? Ballroom dancing is precisely that for Jackie Weigand, who took up the activity three years ago at age 83. The Kendal at Home member from Sagamore Hills, Ohio, is now proficient in 13 styles, including the Viennese waltz, cha-cha, salsa, swing (East and West Coast varieties), and the hustle.
“It’s fun, it works the whole body, it’s weight¬-bearing, it works my cardio, it stimulates my brain, it’s social,” she says. “And when I’m on the floor, I forget all my aches and pains.”
Jackie, ebullient and youthful, will share her passion, story, and advice to anyone who asks at the next Kendal at Home Webinar, “Second Act: May I Have This Dance? Exploring the Beauty & Benefits of Ballroom,” on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m. ET. She’ll also demonstrate some steps.
Waiting for her chance
Ballroom was something Jackie had wanted to do her whole life, but young motherhood and her late husband’s preference for polka put the dream on hold. Then three years ago, her granddaughter’s friend, a ballroom enthusiast, invited Jackie to a weekend social dance.
“I had two left feet that night but started taking classes,” she says. “Now it’s a passion.”
Jackie has always been physically active. She has been an avid racquetball player and was an aerobics instructor for 13 years. She wrangled four children born in a six-year span, who have added 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren to her family. She has always been musical as well, signing in choruses and feeling her body move whenever there’s a melody within earshot.
If you’re interested in the ballroom, she says, give it a try. And if you’re self-conscious, get over it. “If you want to enjoy life, you need to take risks and do new things,” she says. “Just focus on the fun.”
Join us for an educational session on Wednesday, December 7th at 1:00 p.m. EST, as Kendal at Home Member Jackie Weigand leads us onto the dance floor to share the beauty and benefits of ballroom dancing.
