Written by Frank Li
In January 2016, I published my first article on the subject (It’s never too late to dance!), summarizing my first year of competitive dancing. In November 2017, I published my second article (It’s Never Too Late to Dance (II)). This is act III, summarizing my hugely promising dance career over the past one year.
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1. Overview
This is my first full year at MDH (My Dance Hub – www.mydancehub.com). It is easily the most accomplished year for me, thanks to some 200 private lessons with the excellent coaching staff at MDH, led by Jaana Lillemagi, my principal coach and dance partner!
2. The results
I practiced hard and participated in two competitions in 2018: Crystal Ball and Harvest Moon. Let me highlight each.
2.1 Crystal Ball (June 2018)
I competed only in Rhythm and finished well. For example, I finished second in Scholarship (Chacha/Rhumba/Swing/Bolero, Silver level, all ages), earning my first cash award in dancing: $200!
For more, watch the video below.
2.2 Harvest Moon (October 2018)
I competed only in Smooth and finished well. For example, I finished fifth in Scholarship (Waltz/Tango/Foxtrot, Silver level, all ages).
For more, watch the video below.
3. Goals
In my last article (It’s Never Too Late to Dance (II)), I outlined two goals:
- Goal 1: George in my former studio. I failed to sweep him at Harvest Moon 2017, but did it this year!
- Goal 2: Steve in my current studio. I am working hard to catch up with him, and plan to have the first head-on competition with him at Ohio Star Ball 2020!
Why Ohio Star Ball? It is the largest Professional/Amateur dance competition forum in the world!
Why 2020? I will be 61, entering a new age group called “Senior” (61-70) and being among the youngest in this group, hugely advantageous!
My goal at Ohio 2020 is to make the final (i.e. top 6) in all 9 dances I do: American Smooth (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz) and Rhythm (Cha cha, Rhumba, Swing, Bolero, and Mambo).
My ultimate goal is to become a U.S. national champion (men, age-group, first Silver and then Gold). Here is how I plan to do it: “beat them all, or outlast them all!”
4. Beat them all or outlast them all!
At 59, I am in good shape, both physically and mentally, which is absolutely essential for competitive dancing.
4.1 Staying sharp physically
As a former college athlete (in basketball and track & field), I have very strong legs, an evenly developed body, and good coordination skills. Better yet, I have been working out daily for the past two decades without a serious injury, ever. So, all my body parts (e.g. the spine, ankles, knees, hips, waist, and shoulders) are in good working conditions.
However, like many men (and women) of my age, I have lazy knees (e.g. not bending down enough) and am slightly over-weight. These inadequacies must be overcome, fast!
So, I work hard, and am easily the hardest working student in the studio, spending, on average, two hours daily in the studio, on top of daily weight and yoga practices at a different club.
4.2 Staying sharp mentally
In addition to running my own business full-time, I write and publish weekly. Here is a recent news story, highlighting my writing career: Dr. Frank Li Exceeds 1 Million Page Views.
Here is my last book: American Democracy – Why is it failing & how to fix it? You can read the first 56 pages on-line, free!
4.3 Summary
Unfortunately, it may take a lot more than everything mentioned above to become a U.S. national champion in dancing. So, what if I fail to achieve any of the goals listed above? That’s Okay – Read my favorite motto below.
Bottom line: As I enter the fourth quarter in life (i.e. ages 60-79), the journey is more important than reaching the goal – Having fun along the way, in order to be best prepared for the over-time (i.e. age 80 and beyond)!
5. Closing
Life is short. I want to live a full life, with competitive dancing being a colorful chapter in my biography. For more, read: My American Dream Has Come True!
Now, please sit back and enjoy the latest video of my dancing.
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