It's Never Too Late! Salsa Dancing in your 70s

From www.stourbridgenews.co.uk

Paddy's salsa around globe

A STOURBRIDGE grandmother struck by tragedy after retiring to Spain is enjoying a new lease of life as an international salsa dancer.

Sarah Jones, known to all as Paddy, ran Paddy's Fabrics in Victoria Passage for many years before moving to Gandia near Valencia a few years ago with her husband David.

Tragically David was diagnosed with leukaemia just days before they were due to leave - but the couple went ahead with the move and he went into remission.

They enjoyed almost two happy years in the sun before the disease came back with a vengeance and 69-year-old David lost his battle for life in March 2003.

Determined Paddy, however, stayed on in Spain and took up the passion of her youth - dancing - to keep herself occupied.

She joined a Spanish salsa school and her talents were soon spotted by the owner and teacher, Nicko Espinoza.

Now 71-year-old Paddy and 31-year-old Nicko are a well-known duo on the international salsa circuit and have danced all over Spain, Europe and the USA.

Paddy, a former Stourbridge Pantomime Company choreographer, said: "We just both love dancing.

"I'm old enough to be his grandmother, but the difference in age doesn't come into it.
"We've got a new routine where he chucks me around quite a bit, throwing me over his shoulder and through his legs."

Her son Andy, who still lives in Stourbridge, said: "Dancing has always been a big thing to my mum.

"She used to do summer seasons dancing all over the country in her youth, but gave it all up when she got married and had kids.

"It's marvellous that she's taken it up again. She's become such a jetsetter now it's unreal."