Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury
Arthur Murray Dance Studio Santa Monica
Sometimes we are caught in a trap. We are surrounded by a cage. Perhaps we built the cage, or we were trapped, or we were captured. No matter how, we are in a cage and unable to get out. The oddest part is that the door is unlocked and wide open.
It might be that we are unable to make a change in our lives. We are afraid that being free from our cage will be harder than being inside, and unwilling to leave.
What are our cages? An unhappy relationship. A job that has drained us and continues to deplete our energies every day. A cycle of self-harm through our diet, lack of exercise, or purposely hurting our bodies so that we are never able to recover and feel great every day.
We may fear what others may say if we leave the cage. What they might now expect of us if we are liberated and have all good hopes ahead of us. What will we do with that freedom?
It is possible to be free and it’s never too late to take those steps out of the cage.
When I was 18, I decided to take some dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. I did not tell anyone. My parents did not believe in dancing at that time. I had a great job with the State of Tennessee, my own car, my own apartment. I had a safe life.
After taking lessons for 8 months, the manager of the studio came up to me and said, “You can’t be a student here anymore.” I asked why. His answer, “Because you’re co-teaching all my group classes and you’re running my dance parties.” And with that I became a professional dance instructor!
I ran out of my cage and did what my heart told me to do. Three years later, my professional teacher told me to take my Gold certification, move to the largest Arthur Murray in the world, and then take my full judge’s test. I did all of that. Yes, I moved from Nashville to Phoenix, alone with nothing but a vision and a dream.
Then I bought my first home. Everyone told me not to do it. I ran from that cage and became a homeowner.
I had the opportunity to purchase my first studio and left Phoenix at my peak and moved to LA with no job. I found an executive position and then became a studio owner.
I have been in so many cages, yet I’ve always seen that the door was open and I always RAN through that door without fear. I was told don’t, you can’t, you shouldn’t, yet I did.
If you’re in a cage, don’t worry. If you want, you can look around that cage and see that the door is fully open and with a little faith and gumption, you can walk right through it. If the gate appears to be closed, walk right through it! It is an apparition. It’s not real.
Now that we are on the other side of the pandemic, and now still recovering from the Palisades Fire, I have not let those cages capture me. It has been, and continues to be hard, but now I won’t even let any cages swallow me up.
The word of encouragement that I can share with you is this. If you want to be in your cage because you feel safe there, the cage is eventually going to through you out, and right into another cage unless you say NO and refuse to ever be trapped again.
Be patient, keep your vision, keep your hope. Try this, get to know other escapees. Chat with them. Ask them how they got out of their cages and how they are now staying free. Then, look for those who are trapped in their own life cages and help them see that the door is wide open. By helping others, you will grow stronger and remain free.
Be curious. Look for books, stories, sayings, and quotes. Save them. Share them. Talk about them. There is inspiration all around us (and even within us!).
Thank you for reading and Keep on Dancing!
“Dance & Thrive in ‘25”
David Woodbury