A 99-year-old ballerina teacher in Southern California is still light on her feet and showing no signs of stopping.
God puts unique talents and strength inside each of us and He expects us to use them throughout our entire lives. Our physical bodies might age over the years but the inner spark God gives us can stay bright.
When we wake up every morning ready to share our gifts with others we honor Him and keep our daily living full of real purpose. Honestly reading about this incredible woman made my heart warm because it proves age is really just a number when your spirit is alive.
Helga de Kansky started her dancing journey back in 1931 at six years old during the Great Depression in Kansas. She later trained in New York City and became a professional ballerina who performed on major stages across the world. Speaking about her life de Kansky said, “I just love dancing. It’s what I really like to do.”
She eventually stepped back from international touring to build a family life as a dedicated wife, raising four children and later enjoying six grandchildren. But her heart never moved away from dance. Explaining her choice to start teaching de Kansky said, “Well I have to put it this way, I was kind of reliving my dancing days, you know.”
For 25 years de Kansky has traveled from Sierra Madre to teach twice a week at the Pasadena Dance Theatre. Her students who range from age 30 to 50 marvel at her energy and fresh ideas. Student Oksana Sanderfur noted, “She’s very creative. All of her combinations and choreography is always new and fresh. We all try to keep up with her, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the 99-year-old even at 30 or 40 or 50.”
Even after a recent bout with pneumonia put her in the hospital de Kansky refused to quit. As she prepares for her 100th birthday in December she said, “I look forward to living as long as possible, and being able to make life worth it.”
Ballet is a traditional dance style that requires a lot of hard physical work, strong muscles, and great balance. Dancers have to stand tall, balance on their toes, and remember long sequences of moves. This can be especially tough on older adults as their joints get stiffer and their muscles naturally get weaker over time.
Teaching these moves at 99 years old takes incredible mental sharpness, balance, and physical strength that very few people have at that age.
This sweet woman reminds us how full life can be when we find happiness in the gifts God has given us. It is not just about our talents but also our families, our children, our friends, our community. All of them are blessings from our Heavenly Father. When we give priority to those things, we begin to see that age is never a barrier to living a joyful, purposeful life.
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV)
WATCH: 99-Year-Old Ballerina Teacher Stuns Students
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