“My number one job is to make her look good,” Jim Colborn told residents of Ravenwood Lutheran Village’s Nursing Care Center in Hagerstown during a recent visit. Colborn was speaking of his dance partner and fiancé, Christina Weissenborn, 48.

Colborn and Weissenborn make up Two2Dance, a ballroom dance company that offers private, group and wedding preparation lessons, and dance therapy throughout Frederick and Washington counties. It’s the dance therapy  — done mostly for seniors — that the pair is most passionate about. “Our company took this form from a desire to do something more,” said Weissenborn. 

Weissenborn is a graduate of Shepherd College and has a considerable background working in senior care facilities. Most recently, she served as the marketing director for Heartfields Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s Care in Frederick. Colborn holds a Master of Science in epidemiology from State University of New York.

The couple met when they were paired in the fall of 2008 for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Forget Me Not Gala. Weissenborn said they would practice at Heartfields. “We would utilize the country kitchen because it had a hardwood floor,” said Weissenborn. She said they would start dancing and a crowd of residents would gather to watch them perform, eventually the activities director asked them to do a formal performance for the residents. Colborn and Weissenborn began doing showcase performances at other senior facilities and have developed a 6-8 week series that involves not only their performance, but participation from the audience in such activities as the ‘Chair Cha Cha’ and the ‘Wheelchair Waltz.’

At Ravenwood you could feel the room light up with excitement as Colborn and Weissenborn took the floor to start their performance. In addition to the dancing, Colborn engages the residents in the room. He spoke clearly, telling them what he was doing and often asked them questions. He knew the names of several residents after just a few weeks and he introduced himself to new faces in the crowd. 

“One of the things we do is make sure we touch everyone in the room and get their name — it shows respect,” said Colborn. 

Several of the residents at Ravenwood interact with Colborn as he made his way around the room. He asked them to wiggle their hips and move their feet in their chairs if they can and explained to them that this is a way to keep active.  “(I) think the biggest benefit (of dancing) is low impact aerobics — that releases endorphins and adrenaline, “ said Colborn. From the smiling faces and laughter, you can tell this is something the residents enjoy.

Weissenborn said some of the residents just come to listen and watch. “They follow my ballroom gowns almost as much as they follow our dancing,” she said of the residents that do not interact with the couple.

Jack Myers, 87 lives in a cottage on the Ravenwood campus, but he comes to the nursing care center to see his wife of 67 years, Kate, every day. “We were dancers all our lives,” said Myers. They loved dancing the jitterbug. 

Myers particularly enjoys watching Colborn and Weissenborn perform. “It brings back so many wonderful memories,” he said. Myers still occasionally dances with a group at Ravenwood, but he won’t dance with anyone but the instructor. He said the women always ask, but he can’t dance with anyone but his wife who is currently confined to a wheelchair. However, Myers said with a twinkle in his eye as he pointed to Weissenborn, “I’m going to get a dance with her before this is all over.”

 For more information visit: www.two2dance.com or call 240-439-1451

Jim Colborn and his fiancé Christina Weissenborn of Two2Dance. Staff photo by Skip Lawrence. Jim Colborn carefully dips his partner Christina Weissenborn as Ravenwood residents look on. Photo by Skip Lawrence.

Jim Colborn of Two2Dance engages residents of Ravenwood Lutheran Village’s Nursing Care Center during a recent performance. Photo by Skip Lawrence.

 Ravenwood resident Jack Myers sits with his wife Kate to watch the recent Two2Dance performance. Photo by Skip Lawrence.

 Jim Colborn laughs as he dances with one of the Ravenwood employees. Staff photo by Skip Lawrence.