As child living in Santiago de Cuba in the 1950s Liana Munro ached to vary into a talented ballerina. “My father gave me a colossal luxuriate in for dance,” she shares. “As a diminutive bit of lady I bear in mind standing on his two-toned footwear clutching his linen guayabera as he led us in a salsa.”
Liana Munro alongside with her teacher, Alexander Ivanov, on the Daytona Mini Whine of affairs, where she won first … [+] space.
Learning classical ballet from the time she used to be eight, Munro couldn’t wait to shut home from her dance studio, placed on her pointe footwear and be conscious. She even auditioned and got the title role of her dance studio’s production of Cinderella. However, the revolution used to be beneath manner in Cuba. Two weeks sooner than the production, the theater used to be bombed.
By the time Munro used to be 13 her fogeys sent her to a British college in Jamaica where she needed to set all her energies in direction of getting by day after day. That took precedence over pursuing dance. “I needed to point of curiosity on my stories and be taught English,” she explains.
Also, since things were so dangerous in Cuba, Munro by no plot returned home. “The executive wouldn’t enable my fogeys to move,” she shares. “I didn’t understand then that I would by no plot glimpse them again.”
Munro graduated from college, married a British man, moved to Florida and had two daughters who inherited her luxuriate in of dance and are proficient dancers. “I omitted dance terribly,” says Munro. “However I needed to work.”
For nearly about forty years Munro labored in sales and advertising, retiring from export sales in 2018. Since then she has labored as an Administrative Assistant. Correct by the years she devoted herself to serving to her young of us stop their needs. “However, when they left for varsity, I had no reason and felt depressing,” shares Munro. “I labored, watched TV and ate potato chips.”
Gleaming she wanted a reason, in December 2007, her finest unbiased correct friend and finest unbiased correct friend’s sister requested, “While you happen to might possibly perhaps also pursue any dream what would or now not it’s?” Munro’s reply? Dance.
The mates gave Munro a reward certificates to take ballroom dance classes. She used to be 63. From the second she started Latin classes at Kalubys Dance Club in Jacksonville, Florida, Munro used to be hooked and couldn’t wait to receive to the studio. “Dance makes me in actuality feel special,” she says. “It lifts me up, especially after a onerous day. Also, as soon as I am dancing I don’t judge about anything else. I am transported.”
Munro started finding out salsa, hustle, rumba and mambo. “They were so unparalleled a a part of my culture and past,” she says. “Then I started finding out soft dances—the Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango. They are all so comely.”
Liana Munro dances with Brent Hyskell
Currently, Munro dances around three days a week, taking personal classes. For the past 13 years she has been dancing with Alexander (Sasha) Ivanov at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Palm Fly. She additionally dances with Brent Hyskell from Kaluby’s Dance Club.
She particularly adores the Fox-Toddle and Salsa. “Two opposites,” observes Munro. “The Fox-Toddle is classy, suave, but a diminutive bit sassy, and makes me in actuality feel admire I am floating! Whereas the Salsa is snappy, jubilant and as soon as in a whereas sexy.” Oftentimes her body responds to the rhythm and he or she can be able to in actuality feel it take over and in actuality let meander. “That as soon as in a whereas disturbs my teacher because of I don’t gradually be conscious the ballroom options,” she says.
Several months after she started dancing her teacher enrolled Munro in a ballroom competition on a dare. She idea, “I’ll construct it!” However she by no plot idea anything would near from it.
Munro won first space.
“I bear in mind walking up to the podium in full disbelief. It used to be unreal. A total shock!” she shares. Monro won the Pro/Am Senior World Master Champion in Rhythm a pair of times. She has additionally won first space in Rhythm at competitions and continues to compete and get.
“It by no plot crossed my thoughts that I would be dancing at this stage of my existence,” says Munro who is now 77-years-fashioned and continues to construct splits throughout. “Coming into competitions and successful gave the impression thoughts blowing and serene does. To construct one thing I in actuality believe longed to construct since I was a diminutive bit of lady gives me a extensive sense of accomplishment.”
Dance has given Munro unparalleled extra of a connection to her Cuban roots. As a judge as soon as commented, “She dances from the coronary heart.”
“I will image my father all these years ago in his comely white linen guayabera and two tone footwear, dancing the bolero, rhumba and salsa to “Besame Mucho” with so unparalleled ardour,” says Munro. “I judge, yes, he gave me that. I dance from my soul.”
Munro credit her daughters, Lainie and Alicia, for encouraging her to assist dancing (Lainie is a Recent York-based completely professional dancer, performer, choreographer and dance teacher.) “I take into memoir myself very blessed that I will continue to work, dance and be active,” Munro provides. “I believe that ballroom dancing is has stored me flexible, alert and in correct health.”
Erma Bombeck as soon as wrote that on the stop of her existence, when she stands sooner than God, she hopes she can be able to instruct, “I historical the entirety you gave me.” Munro lives by the identical mantra. “Isn’t that elegant?,” she says. “That’s what I are searching out for to suppose to God on the stop of my existence.”
Whereas the awards and recognition are colossal, Munro stays focused on one thing unparalleled extra necessary. “My operate is to now not be the particular dancer. My reason is to encourage others, especially these my age,” she shares. “When I am performing I don’t wretchedness about doing the ideal steps or ideal arm actions. I are searching out for to entertain and glimpse of us smile as if they were dancing with me.”
In actual fact, she finds primarily the most pleasure when strangers uncover her, “I desire I might possibly perhaps also construct that.” Munro replies, “OH YES, YOU CAN! If I will construct this, so can you.”
Munro and Ivanov expend first space at The Daytona Mini Whine of affairs
