There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them!

You may not believe it, but I’m back at the barre and back in tap shoes. Never say never about anything.

While my reconnection to the creative outlet of tap and ballet started during COVID, my dance roots began at the young age of three. At first, I took tap and ballet and then added jazz, point, jazz company classes, and tap line. I was privileged to attend the Beckley Dance Theatre in Beckley, West Virginia, and study under the great Jerry and Sherry Rose. They were pivotal in my adolescence because discipline is a massive component of the study of dance. They were creative and encouraging individuals, too.

Rejoining this creative outlet came on a lark. When an acquaintance mentioned she was taking tap classes, I couldn’t believe it but jumped at the chance to join her. Ballet followed a few months later.

In a recent Zoom call with my BFF from childhood, I tried to explain how hard it is to get back into the groove. How could I have forgotten so much? Why don’t my head and feet work together anymore? And where has my flexibility gone?

Regardless, these classes represent a sort of renewal for me and a reconnection with something I used to really love. Plus, they force me to concentrate. The classes activate my listening and memory skills. And, they make me want to feel like I did all those years ago when Jerry and Sherry drilled posture, pointed toes, high kicks, long arms, and long necks. I can still remember those classes like it was yesterday.

Ironically, my new ballet teacher happens to be from Beckley! She studied under the Rose’s and performed with many professional ballet companies across the country before marrying and moving to Hartsville, SC. Stephanie Salts is a breath of fresh air and an incredible teacher.

Branda Cranford, the owner of the dance studio in Hartsville, is my tap teacher. Like me, she loves 70s music, and in most of our classes, that’s what we dance to.

If you’re searching for a new creative outlet, consider reconnecting with something from your past. I might not be ready for a major dance recital just yet, but I’m working on it, along with my flexibility, and I promise to share my progress along the way.

Let’s get creative!