We elderly ladies like to get out to tango, too

Sung and Shih have appeared and danced in many of the major television variety shows in Taiwan and have been invited to appear on other educational TV programs.

She was cited by local TV hosts as a role model for retirees seeking to stay healthy and spend their later years happily.

The rejuvenated Sung’s greatest dream now is to take part in international standard dance competitions abroad — including, if possible, competitions in Blackpool, England, the mecca of professional ballroom dancers from around the world.

Meanwhile, Sung’s children have turned a blind eye to her expenditures on private lessons, dinners for the instructor, transportation and an enlarging wardrobe of sequins and slick dresses — while they steadily increased the money they regularly give her.

“So long as mother stays happy and healthy, the money we pay for her dancing is much more worthwhile than paying for caretakers or medical bills,” said Sung’s daughter, who manages manufacturing operations from Taipei County to Shenzhen, Shanghai and Kunshan city in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu.

A born athletic type, Sung said that of the five varieties of the modern category of ballroom dancing, she likes skate, or Vienna waltz the most, enjoying its crisp yet smooth tempo, and slower pace compared to the quickstep.

In February, Sung and her instructor were special guests at the closing gala of the 2008 Professional Dance Championships Asian Tour Taipei Open. After demonstrating their perfect footwork, the pair was given a standing ovation by the packed audience, many of whom leading professional dancers from around the world.

The audience went wild with amazement when Sung spun clockwise in her record high of 33 times at one stroke.

Audience members were particularly ecstatic upon hearing from the emcee that the dancing lady was 83 years old.

Dancing by the elderly has become more popular in Taiwan in recent years, partly because of a declining birth rate which leaves many retirees free from the responsibility of caring for their grandchildren. Awareness of the benefits of exercising and of living a full life after retirement has also grown.

Many retirees in Taiwan often join dance activities at parks or community centers in the early morning, after dinner or on weekends.

Swimming and dancing are the best forms of exercise, said Shih, adding that dancing, however, is more sociable. “You get a mouthful of water if you try to talk while swimming,” he said.

Few sports that human beings do are as healing as dancing, Shih said, explaining that when you dance, you constantly do backward strokes or reverse movement which help the body of the dancer to rejuvenate.

But most elderly people dance for exercise or just for fun. Sung is unique, as she has advanced to professional level.

“If possible, I will dance till I’m 120 ... I’m still so young,” Sung said.

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