Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury
Arthur Murray Santa Monica (Photo: Sissy and Spanky)
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.
Abraham Lincoln
Recently I just finished reading “The Leadership Journey” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This excellent book featured the youthful years of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, and how they each grew up to world leaders.
It was fascinating learning about how their lives were formed in their early years. I was so amazed to learn that Abraham Lincoln was prone to depression. He even had times where he thought of ending his life, bed-bound by darkness.
All the four leaders had enormous challenges that they overcame in some way. They all lived with personal and family hardships. Death took them all in different ways, two while in the office of US President.
As someone who has battled with depression all my life, it was cathartic to read of the emotional challenges that others had and how they thrived and succeeded.
It is amazing that sometimes when you have glorious highs in your life, there may be times down in the darkest valleys as well. It is said in architecture, you always know the height of a building by the depth of the foundation. It’s the same with people. The height of their ability and achievements were amazing, but also were the depths of the valleys they walked.
Reading biographies of famous leaders gives us insight into the struggles and victories in their lives. Most of the famous people in life have had great struggles and have made many sacrifices in their lives.
Ballroom dancers are truly bound to live by the light that they have, and the light they have created. In the world of ballroom dancing, I love to see the top professionals, and I love to watch the finals after their many rounds to the quarter, semi, and the actual final round, from 6th to 1st place couples.
They have sacrificed time and finances to get to the top. They have danced hundreds of professional rounds in many pro competitions. The top dancers have practiced countless faithful hours on a regular schedule. Most are on stringent diets; they go to the gym and they exercise beyond their dancing. They have professional grooming, and dresses and suits from the top ballroom designers. Everything about them is the best, the latest and the greatest, and the most exciting in the ballroom world.
The best couples have taken many, many hours of private dance lessons from the top judges in the world. Not many people know that a top couple will spend a third of their income on lessons, travel, and costumes. They take more private lessons than any other level of dancers. They are amazing and they learn just like all couples learn.
When you see the final of a big competition, all six of the finalists are the most outstanding couples in the world. The final of a world comp is not as much a competition, but a show by the six top best couples in the world all dancing at the same time. It is very exciting!
If you can view a world final, your will be in amazement at the level of presentation from each couple. Just one movement, one step, one dance line, could place them in the top three, or perhaps 1st place in the world!
Lincoln said that he stood with anyone who stands right. We say in dancing that we stand with anyone who dances right! If you’re not yet ballroom dancing, please give it a try. It is life-changing and a lot of fun to boot!
Thank you for reading,
David Woodbury
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