Palm Coast 80-year-old says dance lessons helped her lose weight and stay social

Palm Coast resident Dorothy Mancinelli walked into Arthur Murray Dance Studio two years ago with the intention of taking a few lessons to learn how to waltz before a cruise.

Two years later, Mancinelli is still learning new steps as an 80-year-old woman. She said she’s developed better balance, lost 10 pounds and gained a fun way to socialize at the dance studio located at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite A214.

“I’m like the vintage student here,” Mancinelli joked.

Mancinelli was one of the studio’s original students and has learned not only the waltz but also other dances, such as tango, foxtrot, cha-cha, rumba and swing.

“When I walk out of here, I always feel good,” she said. “I feel energized. And everybody is just so loving, and the people are just so friendly. It couldn’t be a better place. There are so many activities. You could come every night for a group lesson, and every Friday there’s a party.”

Mancinelli said that her friends are often surprised to find out she takes dance lessons at least once a week and participates in group dance nights weekly.

“When I walk out of here, I always feel good. I feel energized. And everybody is just so loving, and the people are just so friendly. It couldn’t be a better place.”

- DOROTHY MANCINELLI, student at Arthur Murray Dance Studio

She said four years ago she had a bone density scan when she learned she had osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis. Mancinelli said she didn’t take medicine for it, but a new bone scan she had done a month ago showed that her bone density had improved. She said her doctor credited it to all the dancing she’s been doing.

“It’s a really good cardio workout — no question about that,” Mancinelli said. “I’ve lost 10 pounds — not because I’ve dieted.”

The studio is getting ready to ring in its second anniversary at its Palm Coast location on May 26, two years after its grand-opening ceremony.

“Dorothy is our queen,” owner and franchiser Alexander Ivanov said. “We call her our Queen Dorothy because she always is super elegant and always sets the tone and the level of how a lady is supposed to dress.”

Mancinelli danced for a few years as a child but never took lessons after that. Now, she can’t imagine what her time would be like without it.

“I go home, and I’m dancing around every time I hear music,” she said.