Dancing Off the Pounds

Two women who struggled with weight loss have turned to salsa dancing to help them keep off the pounds and they have found a new zest for life along the way. Cathy Moretti and Monika Barman, who take dance lessons at Salsa In The Suburbs Dance Studio, say they feel more energized and more self-confident since shedding unwanted pounds following gastric bypass surgery.

It has changed my life completely. – Cathy Moretti

The two women say dancing has been extremely therapeutic, helping them to cope with personal loss and chronic problems due to their weight. They have widened their circle of friends and found an inner peace on the dance floor.
.

.

Since they’ve started salsa dancing, Cathy and Monika don’t ever envision stopping. These two salseras definitely have happy feet, devoting about 10 hours or more each week to Latin dance. Dancing has become an integral part of a momentous lifestyle change, and it’s registering inwardly and outwardly, through their smiles, their attitude about themselves and through a new outlook on life. And neither of them envision stopping.

“It has changed my life completely,” says Cathy, who began taking ballroom dance lessons in 2009 after her 37-year marriage ended. “The family that I have made at Salsa In The Suburbs have all been part of my journey. Dancing is therapy. When my soul is hurting, dancing makes me feel better. Dancing makes me feel alive. Dancing makes me feel better about myself, has helped develop my self-confidence and has helped me find me,” she says.

Coping with Other Losses

Monika, who was coping with the loss of her mother, Elaine Barman, also found salsa dancing therapeutic.

“I didn’t start dancing for emotional healing but that’s what I got out of it. It helped me through this rough patch of my life. It was exactly what I needed to get out of the slump and refocus my energy. I didn’t think it was going to play such a big part. Life has a funny way of working out. Through all this grief, all these wonderful things happened to me. I see myself doing this as long as my feet will let me,” Monika says.

Her life changed drastically after her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2012. “It was like an A-bomb went off in my world. My whole life changed.” The elementary school teacher helped care for her mother and was contemplating whether she should move ahead with gastric bypass surgery, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is preferred in the United States by doctors over other types of weight-loss surgery because of fewer adverse reactions.

But Monika felt life was passing her by and that moved her to action.

“I always had it in my head to get back to dancing. Because of the weight, I was just sitting out of life. I wanted to get back to the things I loved to do. I think that’s what my mom wanted for me,” Monika says.

Both women are extremely happy with their lives after surgery and continue to control their diet and dancing is their main means of regular exercise. Neither would have guessed they would derive so much joy from dancing and believe they have found a lifelong passion.

“You don’t feel like you’re exercising” says Monika, who lost 83 pounds since January 2012. “For people who hate to exercise, this is the thing to do. It’s fun and entertaining rather than the chore of exercise. You don’t think about time like when you’re on a treadmill. You think about the steps and the dance.”

Cathy promised herself that she would start dancing after shedding 50 pounds. “That’s something I always wanted to do all my life. I was never confident enough to do it. Once I did, I realized how much I enjoyed it.” In all, she has shed more than 120 pounds.

“Dancing makes me happy. It’s my happy place. When I’m dancing it gives me a chance to express my creativity. I am blessed to be a part of Julie’s dance family at Salsa in the Suburbs. They have shared my journey with me. Dancing makes me feel good about myself. This is something I will do until I physically can’t do it anymore.”

Monika says she has found the friendly atmosphere at Julie Berger’s dance studio, now in its fifth year of operation, to be warm and inviting. She enjoys the company of people of all ages and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and varied personal circumstances, from those who are single, like her, to those who are married, and those
who have retired.

Monika not only noticed that she has more energy, but feels more confident and has become a better dancer since returning to the studio for regular dance lessons. “It’s just part of my healthy lifestyle,” she says.
.

.

Cathy and friends after weight loss at the Halloween Party.

The post Salsa Dancing & Weight Loss: 2 Success Stories appeared first on Salsa in the Suburbs.

Julie Powers showed up at Salsa in the Suburbs Dance Studio, wanting to take salsa lessons in anticipation of showing off her new skills aboard a cruise originating in Mexico. Charlie Malone joined the studio three years ago as a way of meeting new people.

Her salsa dancing skills went untapped during the cruise but made it easy to connect back at home with the tall man with light eyes. It was an unlikely pairing. She was ready for a serious relationship, and Charlie was disenchanted with the notion of love. Romance was the last thing on his mind.

Slowly, an attraction for each other grew. Julie asked Charlie to walk her to her car, following a social dance in September. They went on a few more dates and then Charlie, who was reluctant to start anything romantic, was calling her every day. By Halloween, their relationship was official and then in January, Charlie proposed on bended knee, on a downtown street in Media, not too far from the dance studio.

Salsa dancing in the suburbs is helping ignite romantic sparks and couples aren’t waiting on a certain winged matchmaker to intervene.

“We were ready to fly to Vegas two weeks ago to elope,” Charlie admitted.

The two traded glances before Julie cut in, saying in a faraway voice: “It’s unique. It’s like nothing I ever experienced before. I don’t think everybody gets to experience this.”

“I don’t think so, nope,” Charlie said shaking his head.

Brett Brashers was looking for a partner for a Bachata performance class and Kristen Gilia, another student of Salsa in the Suburbs, was also open to the idea. Neither had any idea that their platonic friendship would blossom into a romantic relationship.

Brett and Kristen made their relationship official in December, about three months after the performance class ended.

“The performance class definitely built mutual attraction between us,” Brett says. “We have a lot of fun in the social context of the studio. By partnering and dancing together, people thought we were dating before we actually were. We clicked and great on-floor chemistry translated off the floor too.”

“When we were dancing together,” Kristen says, “it seemed like there was nobody else in the room. We were there for each other, to support each other through the entire process.”

Julie Berger, founder and artistic director of Salsa in the Suburbs, says she isn’t surprised that people are finding partners for more than just dancing. Her studio has a warm, inviting atmosphere that attracts a friendly crowd. Classes are intimate and personal, and dancers are encouraged to mingle and socialize in and outside of the studio.

During dance socials, the cozy red couch in the foyer becomes a central fixture, inviting people to sit and talk and find out more about each other.

Once people are comfortable socially, the studio’s founder says new opportunities for networking and socializing arise. People enjoy dances together, exchange phone numbers and stay in contact through Facebook and other social media.

“I feel privileged to be a part of the birth of serious relationships,” says Julie Berger. “I feel proud to have created an atmosphere in which people feel comfortable being themselves and stepping out of their comfort zones. That’s an extra perk of my already amazing job.”

Chase and Jessica Trinh, who have been together for 11 years and married for nearly three years, wanted to spend more time engaged in an activity that they could enjoy together.

As 2nd Lieutenant platoon leader in the Army Reserves, Chase has been away from home during wedding anniversaries and birthdays due to basic training. Those assignments kept him away from home for up to six months at a time. Come April, he will be overseas on assignment and away during his fourth wedding anniversary.

His prolonged absences have been emotionally challenging for both, but Jessica was all smiles at the in-house “Underground Salsa Party” on January 19. With her husband never far from her side, they both talked about their decision to take salsa lessons together.

“It’s been really fun. Nights like this are magical and I appreciate these moments even more because he was gone.”

Both say they’ve already noticed positive changes in their relationship as result of taking salsa lessons together for the last three months. They have become better listeners, feel more in tune with each other and have learned new ways to be supportive and communicate more clearly.

“I think more couples should do it because it really emphasizes communication,” Chase says. “And a lot of that translates into what we do outside of the dance floor. I can see us doing this when we’re retired and growing old together.”

By Wilford Shamlin
Swindell Plus Publishing

The post Valentines Day Special: Salsa Dancing Blossoms Into Romance appeared first on Salsa in the Suburbs.