Minnesota Women’s Press: Reinvention at Any Age
This essay originally appeared on Minnesota Women’s Press.
Ember Reichgott Junge
I walked into a dance studio at the age of 35 for one reason — to find a husband. I found one, but he doesn’t dance a step. Instead, dance changed me.
In my earlier decades, I was married to my two intense careers as a young attorney and as a state senator. I didn’t know how to relax or have fun. I was always professional, striving for perfection.
Through dance, I could be vulnerable and make mistakes. I didn’t have to be perfect. My dance coach became my life coach. He knew how to take control from a woman who was used to being in charge. I learned to listen and yes, to follow. I discovered my authentic self.
When the pandemic came, I missed our dance community greatly. So I started writing and interviewing people who had their own unique and inspiring stories. My book, The Dance of Resilience, Transforming Lives and Staying Vibrant Through Partner Dance, was born. People’s stories in the book include:
Lisa Davis, an IT professional who has been dancing most of her life, both as a leader and a follower. She has been blind since she was 18 years old.
Regina Kim from South Korea, who discovered dance as a way to regain her self-confidence and a new community after she left a long abusive marriage. Now she says, “I can stand straight, both inside and outside.”
Newly widowed Maryann Kudalis, who navigated grief by attending group dance classes, where she could rotate partners constantly and meet new friends and partners without the awkwardness of dating. “It’s a safe environment for single people. You can go alone and it’s OK, especially for older women.”
Jim Carter, who was gored in the thigh by a buffalo and told he would never walk again. Referred to a dance studio by his physical therapist, he repeated waltz boxes in front of a mirror for hours on end to reconnect his brain to his leg. Today he has minimal pain and even competed in a dance competition.
There are many more stories of resilience, including how same-sex dance broke through the ballroom dance world. But most important to me are the two missions of the book.
The first mission is to inspire adults and seniors to experience the physical, mental and emotional health benefits of partner dance.
Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared “an epidemic of loneliness” in 2023. Research found that loneliness and social isolation increased risk for premature death by 26 percent and 29 percent respectively — as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Partner dance is all about community.
Partner dance is a powerful — and overlooked — tool for brain health and body wellness.
Another study found that frequent partner dance is the best preventer of dementia, reducing the risk of dementia by 76 percent. The study measured other exercises — like tennis, golf, swimming, walking, and doing housework — and none appeared to offer protection against dementia.
That led me to interview health providers and physicians around the country. I learned that partner dance can provide greater balance, independence and mobility for people living with Parkinson’s disease. It can also reduce the risk of some cancers.
As a former legislator, the second mission of my book became clear to me: to make it part of the insured and paid health care systems.
Today, a major Medicare Advantage plan is paying for dance sessions in its retiree portfolio. Some doctors are issuing “social prescriptions,” in which they prescribe pills and ten dance sessions paid by insurance.
Ember Reichgott Junge learns to let go in partner dance
The book became available online and in bookstores on January 13, 2026, and is distributed by Simon and Schuster. Personally signed books are available at thedanceofresilience.com, along with a listing of upcoming local book events.
Whether or not dance is for you, know that the skills, resilience, and emotional intelligence demonstrated in these stories are not limited to dance. They apply to all areas of our lives.
Dance on with resilience, whatever your personal passion might be!
Ember Reichgott Junge is a former Minnesota state senator, long-time television political analyst for KSTP-TV and TPT Almanac, and nonprofit attorney. She is an amateur competitive ballroom dancer.