A Portrait Of Dancing As Lovely As A Painting Elita Sohmer Clayman

Elita and Jerry went to their first dance and dance competition in about eight months. They had not been to one, since both are having trouble with their knees (probably from all the dancing in thirty-five years of doing it) and it was so nice to be at the Pikesville Hilton in Pikesville, Maryland. The competition was sponsored by Igor and Polina Pilipenchuk Atlantic Dancesport Challenge on June 9, 2012.

What a grand event it was with beautiful dancing, a nice atmosphere and a loving audience for the all-day one day happening. Dancers came from many states including Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, D.C., Virginia, Delaware, New York, Massachusetts and Maryland.

Adjudicators were from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Canada, Virginia, New Jersey, DC, New York and Russia. It was a grand gala of a competition and the weather was perfect for the entire out of state competitors and visitors.

The categories and dance events had dancers from many varied ages, including young children from the ages of nine, all the way to our grand senior citizens.

The dancing was lovely and the female dancers were attired in beautiful ball gown dresses, all of various colors. All the ladies wore their hair neatly and lovely coiffed and not hanging wild, like you see on Dancing With The Stars television show. The male dancers were attired in the regular and basic black suits, no bare bodies like on DWTS. Everything was dignified, current and sophisticated.

All in all, it was a fine example of delightful ballroom dancing at its finest showing. It was fun to be a part of a dancing atmosphere once again and maybe, oh maybe, next year on June 2013; Elita may attempt to be one of the senior lady dancers trying to dance in a competition, which will be her first attempt since 2001. Who knows, miracles do happen?

Ballroom dancing is a sport/hobby that can be attempted by youngsters all the way up to seniors. There is a story online about a woman who will be one hundred years old and started to ballroom dance at age ninety and is doing quite admirably with this accomplishment. Bravo to her.

When I was in Miami Beach, Florida in May of 1982 and I was at the young age of forty-eight, we saw what we thought were quite “old” women dancing with their young dance teachers in various dance events. We were enamored of the quality of the dancing ladies, ranging in ages from sixty-five to eighty-five or older. It was amazing to see their dexterity and expertise at doing this dancing event and the ability of these older ages to be so skilled. I thought then, that when I am those ages, I will try to be able to still do it too. Now I am ‘those ages’ because I will be seventy-eight next week on the twenty-first of June and this is my dream, to go and dance next year with my dance teacher at the Atlantic  Dancesport Challenge in my own hometown and the event takes place about five miles from my house.

What a nice dream and when my knee gets better, hopefully real soon, I will start training for next year’s event. As my younger two grandchildren ages almost five and almost seven say to me when I come to visit them and I am going up the steep stairs of their home “go Grammie, go Grammie.” Last time I was there, my almost five year old said with all the endearment little ones have and they speak the truth as they see it, which is usually accurate, as she saw me walking slowly up the stairs “ Grammie, you and Grandpa are walking slowly, I can walk up fast.” She was right, but I am going to work on being ‘fast’ too in the coming months.

Ballroom dancing as performed at the Atlantic Ballroom dance competition yesterday, June 9th, 2012 is a wonderful way of adding spirit, happiness and joy to one’s life. Even if you are not a participant in a competition, you can go and enjoy watching it as people watch baseball and football. If you view it and love it, you will gain great respect for the competitors who attempt this. They work hard and long to make their appearances at various competitions and I was one of them from 1981- 2001 which was for twenty glorious years.

It increases one’s feelings about their self, it shows them they have the quality to excel regardless of their age when starting it; and most of all, it is a beautiful and joyful addition to their life. Partner dancing with your husband or friend is also a good bonding happening between two people.

Everyone now days think that ballroom dancing has gotten a big boost from the television show Dancing With The Stars. Some of that is true; but we dancers have always known what dancing does for our minds, souls, and health. True, sometimes the feet, toes, knees and arms hurt; but that is also factual with other sports such as tennis, football, golf and baseball. Believe, me, hurting knees or hurting shoulders now is nothing compared to the joy I have found with my dancing these thirty-five years and that anniversary date will be on November 2, 2012. If you add up 11 for November, 2, 2 plus 1 plus 2 this equals eighteen which in Judaism is the word Chai (pronounced Hi) for the number eighteen. Eighteen means good luck, good health, good everything there is.This is veracious for my dancing days from November 1977.

It has been exemplary, admirable and outstanding and may I say modestly after achieving fifty-eight trophies, medals and certificates in my competition days; beautiful and a gratifying experience.

We were excited to come and watch the fine competition organized by Igor and Polina Pilipenchuk and to be a part of the viewing audience and to watch the competent and beautiful competitors achieve, succeed, and to be rewarded for their hard work, competence and showmanship.

It is artistry in motion and as a painting shows you beauty when you look at it; so does ballroom dancing become a painting in movement and action. Ballroom dancing is the creation of bodies swinging and swaying and the mastery of the mind and body. You can receive so much euphoria and elation in seeing dancers moving around and the stimulation your mind receives is joy at the highest elevation.

I felt that way last evening as I was a viewer/audience member, but still remembered the feeling of being an actual dance participant many years ago. The desire to excel that ballroom dancing gives to you, cannot be equaled, I think, in other sports.

So to the painting in our hearts, souls and minds, ballroom dancing is art in the true form of motion. Let it be in your memory, as a portrait of dance and love.