My Dance Story

From little tap shoes to lifelong joy—here’s why I believe dance can change everything.

I was one of those kids who just couldn’t sit still. Full of energy, bouncing off the walls—so my mom did what any wise mom would do: she put me in ballet, tap, and jazz. And just like that, I found my rhythm.

I danced all through childhood. Through high school. Through college. Movement became my language, my outlet, and my joy.

Eventually, I became a teacher—certified through Dance Masters of America, where I trained and passed the national exam. I owned a dance studio. I taught kids. I choreographed. I lived and breathed dance.

But dance didn’t just shape my career—it shaped my friendships and my life. After college, when I needed to make new friends and feel like myself again, I turned to dance. Not the bar scene, not small talk over drinks. I wanted connection—the kind that comes from laughter, music, movement, and showing up as your full, honest self.

Partner dancing gave me that.  It helped me build real friendships, the kind that last.
It brought me to cities around the country and even the world.
And no matter where I was, the dance floor always felt like home.

Then life shifted. I became a mom—and for more than 15 years, I gave everything I had to others.
I was the caregiver. The supporter. The steady hand behind the scenes.
I loved my family deeply, but somewhere along the way, I disappeared from my own story.

My personal dreams took a back seat. I stopped doing things just for me.

And then, everything changed.

I went through a painful separation. Suddenly, I was a newly single mom trying to rebuild—emotionally, financially, spiritually. It was one of the hardest seasons of my life.

That’s when I found the dance floor again.

Not just as exercise or entertainment—but as healing. As expression. As home.

Dance helped me reconnect with my joy.
It reminded me of who I am.
It gave me strength, freedom, confidence—and most of all, me.

And I would leave the dance floor glowing—because in those moments, I knew:

This is who I am.

Yes, I might have been going through hard things. Life wasn’t always easy.
But dance reminded me of the bright, joyful, alive version of myself that still existed underneath it all.

That joy—that light—it wasn’t pretend.
It was me.
The real me.

And the best part? I could access it any time.
I could just go dance, and there it was—freedom, beauty, self-love, aliveness.

It felt so good to remember who I was when I felt uninhibited, present, and full of joy.
That version of me wasn’t lost. She was waiting.

And honestly? I want that feeling for everyone.
Everyone deserves to experience that kind of joy—deep, unbridled, soul-lifting joy.
That’s why I love dance so much.
And that’s why I do this work—
To help people feel alive again. Free again. Themselves again.

Because the joy is still there.
And you deserve to feel it.

📽️ Want to see the journey?

Watch one of my favorite dance moments--swing dancing in NYC! 

It was summer 2023, my personal life was still tumultuous, and I knew I was desperate for a getaway to refuel my energy.  I booked myself a long weekend in NYC for a dance vacation.  And it was fabulous! 

I got online and found out where all the low-pressure social dances were happening, hopped a plane, and danced, danced, danced.  I was there for 5 nights, and a typical day for me looked like this:  I would wake up at 11am, go to a cafe near my hotel for a coffee and croissant (I love croissants), visit a museum, and take a late afternoon nap.   Then I'd get up, put on a lively Getting Ready playlist, and dance around my hotel room  while I got ready for my night out.  All set and ready to dance but hungry and needing fuel, I'd find any ol' pizza place and grab a slice of pizza.  (Breathmints afterwards, naturally.). After that, I'd jump the subway and get to my dance hall.  And there, in my slice of heaven, I would dance till 3 or 4am.  It was blissful!!

In the video below, I don't know the man I'm dancing with.  I remember seeing him having fun dancing with other people and thinking, "he'd be fun to dance with."  I don't remember if I asked him to dance with me or if it was the other way around.  Regardless, we found each other on the dance floor and shared this fabulous dance.   I was lucky it was caught on video by a kind stranger.  She was a modern dancer herself, and when she saw us dancing, she loved it and thought, "I bet they'd like a video memory of their dance," and she was right!  I'm always so happy dancing I never take out my phone, so I was delighted she did that for us. 💕

If you want to know how to find out where to dance, how to walk into a dance hall as a stranger, or how to go on dance vacation, I am happy to share with you what I know!  Social partner dancing is one of the best hobbies in the world because it's global.  Really.  The dance floors around the world will welcome you with open arms.  It's such a good feeling and I'd love to help you experience it.