When I was about 44, I danced with my pro teacher in several competitions. He was the pro and I was the am standing for amateur. I won 5 out of 9 awards in a comp in Florida.

When down there, I noticed there were many senior ladies dancing with their pro teachers and they were marvelous and beautiful. I said to myself that when I was their age, I wanted to be the same as they were.

Now I am their age and I still am going to compete this summer with my pro teacher in several events in Virginia. Age is not a deterrent if you want to dance. You may not be able to lift up that foot so easily, but you can try. Try is the main word. You will excel and still do well.

It is delightful to dress up in lovely dresses and anticipate with great emotion when you hear your name and number called out at a comp. It is a thrill to be always remembered and when you see the dvd video of yourself, you will be so proud.

Proud is the key word and try is the next word. Even if you do not win an award, you are rewarded by just being there. As they say at my Weight Watchers meetings, give yourself a bravo just for coming in the door that day even if you have gained some weight. The leader says that is a triumph even greater than having lost a few pounds.

You had the courage and the stamina to come and so it is also with ballroom dancing at a studio for social times or competing at other times.

You are a winner just by trying and as Shakespeare said in Sonnet 150, "What is the source of this mighty power you have" and though he was referring to something else, it is a good line for ballroom dancing.

We all have the mighty power to make things happen and if they are good things then we are the winner.

Winner you will be once you learn to dance because dance will make your life sweet and memorable.

Elita Sohmer Clayman

Baltimore, Md