Why Don't You Dance? By: Joan Wood

Breathes there a woman who, when invited to dance, hasn’t inquired what dance is this? Rumba? Oh, I don’t do rumba. But of course, I would love to dance with you and hope you will ask me for a waltz, foxtrot or swing. Well folks that was me in spades. Actually I love to dance, I just don’t do it well.

Not anymore. My adventure in ballroom dancing started when a friend said, My dance studio is having a party. Dancing is a social grace. Good exercise. It won’t hurt you to be better at it. 

So I went… and signed up for a few lessons.

At first I was pretty awful. My teacher would say,  “There, you lost your balance again.”  And I did. Then one day I thought,  “That wasn’t I who lost my balance, it was HE.” Then I discovered he had two vodkas for breakfast Every day. Not like most dance teachers. And also not like I wanted MINE to behave.

Now, most of the dance studios in town have occasional open party nights.

Some even offer free beginner group lessons. I started on that circuit, hoping the teachers would ask me to dance. And they did. They didn’t know it, but I was interviewing them. Finally, I got to The Ballroom Of Sarasota in a strip mall on Swift near Clark. I liked dancing with Joe, one of the teachers.

As I was leaving, I thanked the owner, John Moldthan, for a nice evening. Talking about staying in shape, he poked me on the rear end and said, we could do something about “THAT.” And I thought the NERVE of that guy. Your father or your husband? That’s one thing But, a perfect stranger? No!

Anyhow, I dance with Joe for about three months, until he didn't show up for our lesson. John asked if I didn't mind he would teach me, after that he said “ from now on if you'd like? you'll be dancing with me!” That turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. Later John said, “ when I saw you walk in the door that night I said to myself, I could make her a champion.” And he did. Four times a U.S. Champion and one- time world Champion. Plus Top Amateur Female Dancer in the U.S. per 67 competitions one year. I didn’t go to that many. But when I did, the heat was on. I was there to WIN.

John was very tough on me. He would say, “Today you’re going to learn a new grouping. I will show you your part.” I watched. Very complicated. So I cross my arms in front of me and announced “ I can’t do that, and furthermore I’m not going to do that“ very quietly he would say, “ you can do it and you will do it. Now let’s get started.” So I did it.

At ballroom dance competitions in U.S. there are two dance categories. One is International  style, which is the way everyone else in the world dances waltz, foxtrot and eight other dances, but in the America, land of the free and home of the brave, and we Americans created our own version of all those dances called them American style. Don’t forget we are close to our friends in the Caribbean and South America, where the big favorite include dances like merengue, Bolero and mambo. So far good measure we added those two. I do all the dances and both styles.

Along the way, I stopped dancing for eight years. I recently went back, and today my legs are like iron. If you’re in the mood to try it, call John his private line is, 941-374-0706 and tell him his favorite student sent you.

He’ll tell you , “They’re ALL my favorite students.”

By: Joan Wood  - June 2021