Heights doctors trip the light fantastic
Linda and Grover Gilmore learned to dance for a wedding and haven't stopped yet. Photo courtesy of Linda Gilmore.
Heights doctors have found that the graceful movement of the Viennese waltz, the sophistication of the foxtrot, the romance of the tango, and the smooth flight of the quick-step ballroom dance are not only fun but may provide health benefits to the body and mind. While researchers at such institutions as the Mayo Clinic and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have reported on the health benefits of dance, Heights doctors know from personal experience that dance is a good way to condition the body, increase stamina and flexibility, improve balance, aid memory, and relieve stress while having fun.
R. John Leigh, M.D. , and Diana J. Leigh, LISW, have studied ballroom dancing for seven years with award winning teacher and choreographer Dick Blake. Initially motivated to prepare for three weddings in 2003, the couple has remained serious students of dance, taking two one-hour lessons per week. Leigh, the Blair-Daroff professor of neurology and professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and director of the ocular motility laboratory at the Cleveland VA Medical Center, recommends dance to his patients with neurological disorders, to improve balance. When asked what he and his wife like most about dancing, Leigh responded, “the thrill.”
James Jacobberger, Ph.D., and his wife Suzi, have studied dance with Blake for 18 years. Recently celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary, Jacobberger recalls how Suzi enrolled the couple for lessons as a 25th anniversary gift. They have been dancing ever since. Through dance, they experience the joy of movement and romance Hollywood-style via Blake’s choreographed routines, similar to those of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. “If I had been born with a different body, I might have enjoyed doing this professionally,” quipped Jacobberger, professor of oncology and director of the cytometry and microscopic imaging core at CWRU’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Deborah Lonzer, M.D., who teaches in the pediatrics department of the CWRU School of Medicine, and is chair of the dpeartment of community pediatrics at the Cleveland Clinic, has been taking weekly dancing lessons for more than 10 years. As an advanced student, Lonzer has demonstrated various dances with Blake in charity dance exhibitions. Proficient in many styles, she has perfected triple turns in the jitterbug, and dances the cha cha at a professional level.
Grover C. Gilmore, Ph.D., dean of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at CWRU felt pressure to learn to dance for his daughter's wedding. He signed up for lessons. "I didn't want to embarrass myself on the dance floor with my daughter, and I knew if anyone could teach me to dance, Dick Blake could." Gilmore and his wife have been taking lessons with Blake for over three years.
Ellen S. Lazarus, Ph.D., who has taught in CWRU's anthropology department, and Stephen R. Lazarus, L.L.B. associate professor of law at Cleveland State University, have been studying dance with Blake for 16 years. Originally wanting to learn to tango for a family wedding, the couple continued lessons for the enjoyment of dancing together. “Our lessons provided us with a scheduled time together each week. That means a lot to us,” commented Stephen Lazarus.
When asked why doctors find dancing so rewarding, Blake remarked, "Dancing is fun whether you are a beginner, an advanced student, or a professional dancer. The only limitation is your imagination." Dick Blake's studio is located in Beachwood. For more information, call 216-831-5436, or visit www.dickblake.com
Linda Gilmore has lived in Cleveland Heights for 35 years. Currently manager of Interdisciplinary Programs at Case Western Reserve University, she will retire in July to pursue personal interests, including ballroom dancing.