Dance, to me, is a sacred movement done in space and time to the rhythm and melody of the music. But it is more than just movement; it is an extraordinary way to integrate my breath, mind, heart, body, and spirit to free the vital energy of my body. Dance awakens the very essence of my being and makes my inner spirit feel free, alive, and joyful.
I cherish and adore ballroom dancing and love watching Dancing with the Stars, but my passion for dance started way back in 1989 when my husband and I took dance lessons on a cruise ship. Since then, we have been hooked on dancing. When we returned from the cruise, we sought teachers who managed to get us ready for our first competition in San Francisco. For the next 15 years, we competed eight times a year everywhere in the US and Canada.
We were very lucky to have world champions as our teachers who enjoyed teaching this “exotic couple” as they termed us. It always made us chuckle. The training was grueling and intense, but both of us derived great pleasure from this sport even though our feet were blistered at the end of a six-hour training three to four times a week. It was worth it when we won several amateur competitions. Those were the days when we did all ten dances! We did standard dances—Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz and the Quick Step—and we also competed in the Latin dances—Rhumba, Samba, Cha Cha, Paso Doble, and the Jive. For my husband and I, this is something we did together, and we have very fond memories of these times.
To my chagrin, 15 years ago, my husband had to give up ballroom dancing because of his workload, and it made me very sad. I have continued to dance and compete with Robert Nardozza who is now my partner and coach.
I am honored and truly grateful and blessed to have Robert as my teacher and friend for so many years. What would I do without Robert? An excellent teacher, he has the ability and insight to bring out the best in me. He encourages me and makes me believe in my ability to be me. He always says, “I know you can do it,” but I had to have the courage to believe it first. Robert says, “Believe in the inner magnificence and strength that exists within you, and then anything is possible.”
Sure enough, I have just finished my cookbook, Turmeric & Spice, because of his encouragement. He always believed in me and told me, “I know you can finish it.” Although I had my doubts and challenges, and many times I lost hope, he was my champion who always believed I would persevere, accomplish, and manifest my book with my inner resilience. And voila, I did!
Dance to me is an outer expression and a celebration of my inner spirit. It has been a very powerful tool for of self-expression that allows me to gauge the progress that I was making in other aspects of my life. Like a barometer, it measured my progress. When I manifested my book, my dancing improved tremendously because then I believed in my abilities, strength, courage, and confidence that I could accomplish anything I want if I put my mind to it. The intention and purpose of dance is to attempt to bring harmony and balance. While we are dancing, we are trying to keep our motion and emotions in balance, which is a constant challenge. Dance allows my inner magnificence shine through.