Reward Dance

Meet Maurica Winderbaum — proving that it’s never too late to dance. 

At 70, Maurica has returned to the ballet she first fell in love with at six years old. She danced until she was 16 in South Africa, leading to being taught by the wonderful Marjorie Sturman for one final year, who was instrumental in Maurica passing her Elementary Exam. Then life, study and her HSC year led her in a different direction.

For almost 50 years, ballet was a love she put aside.

Until she found Reward Dance — and, in her words, “it was the best thing to happen in my life.”

Despite living with chronic migraines and osteoporosis, Maurica has embraced ballet wholeheartedly. For her, it’s more than exercise. It’s transformative, it makes her feel younger, transports her to another world and has given her confidence and a renewed sense of what she can achieve.

We asked Maurica five questions about rediscovering her love of ballet.

1. What inspired you to go back to ballet at this stage of life?
“I was always searching for a hobby I’d love and I found it. It's transformative and it's enhanced my life. I LOVE it."

2. How has learning ballet changed the way you think about yourself or your abilities?
“It makes me feel younger, more capable and confident”.

3. What do you enjoy most about ballet, and what keeps you coming back to class?
“It teaches you that exercising is fun. I feel like I am doing ballet! And I love the people there, all the other students have made me feel at home and the teachers Rachel and Polly are wonderful and so talented.”

4. Have you faced any challenges while learning ballet, and how have you worked through them?
“Balance can be challenging, and I would love my legs to go higher! But I enjoy working through the challenges and seeing progress every week. Ballet is food for your soul.”

"Ballet has now given me something valuable — confidence, joy and a reason to keep moving."

5. What would you say to someone your age who is thinking about trying something new like ballet?
"Just do it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

And here at Reward Dance we couldn't agree more. 🩰✨❤️

Silver Swans brings people together through ballet, friendship and community. 🩰💕

Great to see this study by
Dr Rachel E Ward, Founder & Director of Reward Dance, shared by Ballet Science. The study revealed that ballet can be a source of improved physical function, social connection, acceptance, learning and enjoyment after breast cancer treatment 💕🎀

Can ballet support recovery after breast cancer? 🩰🎗️

A new qualitative study explored the experiences of women who participated in a 16-week “Ballet after Breast Cancer” program.

Here’s what they shared:

🩰 Ballet helped them feel “normal” again after cancer treatment.
🤝 Dancing alongside others with shared experiences created a powerful sense of connection.
💗 The classes provided a supportive, judgment-free environment where participants felt accepted.
💪 Many described improvements in physical function, confidence, emotional wellbeing, and even cognitive health.
👩‍🏫 One of the biggest factors in the program’s success? An experienced, compassionate instructor who understood their unique needs.

Participants also preferred classes designed specifically for people with a history of breast cancer and suggested future programs include:
• A hybrid option (online + in-person)
• More opportunities to socialize
• Extra learning resources outside of class

While more research is still needed, this study highlights something important: ballet can be much more than exercise. For many, it became a source of community, joy, confidence, and healing.

💬 Could specialized dance programs become a more common part of cancer rehabilitation in the future?

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a73218995/ballet-alzheimers/
Let’s keep on dancing, Silver Swans! Dancing is great for our brains and has so many other health benefits as well. 🩰🧠🫁🦵💪 And it’s fun and we get to spend time with wonderful people! 🥰❤️💕xx
Reward Dance
Royal Academy of Dance
Royal Academy of Dance Australia

Dancing to Stave Off Dementia The connections between a regular dance practice and cognitive health are just now being understood