Molly Starts Tap Dancing at Age 60

Every wonder what would happen if you didn't just tiptoe out of your comfort zone, but shuffle, flap, and ball changed into a whole new world? 

Molly Clark is a semi-retired school librarian who turned 60 in February. Over the years she's run more than a dozen half marathons, though she thinks those days might be behind her. Every ten years or so, Molly gets the urge to try something new.

Twenty years ago, she took up running seriously after joining a 10K training group. Twelve years ago, she decided to tackle triathlon, despite not being able to swim and a fear of riding her bike on the road. 

Molly has a clear memory of herself as a kid, sitting on a kitchen stool asking her mother if she could take ballet classes, but it didn't happen. So when a friend texted last summer and asked if she'd be interested in joining an adult tap dance class, Molly didn't hesitate.

How were your class jitters on day one?
The first class was not what I expected at all. I thought we’d spend time going over the class expectations and maybe very basic intro steps. I was sure we wouldn’t be dancing much that first night. Boy was I wrong!

The teacher took attendance and jumped right in. Also, everyone else in the class had dance experience. My friends and I were the only true beginners in the room.

Molly, far left, made it to the recital!

What was the biggest surprise?
I was shocked by how fast it all goes. I don’t have a fast-twitch fiber in my body, so that was, and is, a real challenge.

You hit a roadblock on day one. What happened?
The class was advertised as “all levels,” but somehow we expected it to be more beginner-friendly. It never occurred to me that adults who already knew how to dance would take a dance class, which I realize now makes no sense. 

My friends attended sporadically for a couple of months, always promising they’d be back the next week. If they’d just said that the class wasn’t what they expected, I could have moved on. Instead, I kept waiting for them to show up. That’s what hurt most. It felt like a running buddy who talks you into signing up for a marathon and then bails on all the training runs.

I pictured us struggling, flubbing, and laughing together in the back row. Instead, I ended up struggling, flubbing, and weeping alone in the back row. There were a LOT of tears those first few months.

I stayed because once I bought the shoes and took that first class, I knew I’d spend the rest of my life wondering “What if?” if I quit. 

How was the recital? What did you love about it?
We spent a lot of time in the dressing room because dancers aren’t allowed in the auditorium, and I got to know my classmates more that night than in the whole year of classes. You can’t really chat during class; you're too busy concentrating!

But what I most loved was hearing the shocked whispers of some of the young dancers when I was walking through the hall to the stage, “Is that our librarian?”

On a scale of 1 to 10, how outside of your comfort zone were you?
I was 500 miles outside my comfort zone. Honestly, I’m still a little flabbergasted at myself for even doing it. I was the only beginner in a class of experienced dancers and the only person who wasn’t a parent of a child dancer at the studio. Everyone knew each other except me.

And I was the OLDEST by 15+ years. Just one of these conditions would be very uncomfortable for me, but all four together? And then to get on stage in front of hundreds of people? Who even am I anymore?

Molly and her inner child, beaming!

What was the secret sauce to finding your courage?
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why I was able to do this and the best answer I’ve come up with is that my brain handed over control to five-year-old me.

Me: I don’t know anyone.
Five-year-old me: We’ll make new friends!
Me: I am NOT doing the recital.
Five-year-old-me: But the sparkly swirly dress!
Me: I’ll look ridiculous.
Five-year-old me: Who cares what people think?

Advice for someone wanting to dust off an old dream?
Not to sound like a famous footwear brand, but just do it. It might stick or it might not, but learning new things is almost never a bad choice. This is from my Facebook post from recital night. I think it sums it up. 

If you’re lucky, your inner child will wake up one day and realize they exist inside an adult body with a checkbook, a driver’s license, and the means to make childhood hopes come true. If your inner child is whispering to you, listen to them. Children are brave. Children are wise. Children know how to live.