It’s a Monday night at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Roanoke. And Mohammed Taher is working with one of his regular students, “Okay, we’re waltzing! Remember, the waltz has the rise and fall… You want to make sure that you fall through the knees and ankles… …and keep your chest up.”
As they gracefully turn in three-four time, Taher provides guidance on posture and presentation, “Keep your head back… …Good!”
It’s a scene he has performed five, six, or sometimes even seven nights a week for over 40 years. Taher is 82 years old.
His life story and how he came to teach ballroom in Roanoke began far away – in Cairo, Egypt. Taher tells me he is the oldest of five siblings. “I am the ‘black sheep!'" he says and then laughs.
I asked him to take me back to when he discovered his love for dance. He said that his involvement in dance happened quite by chance. Taher remembers, “I started actually when I was almost eighteen. And I started…there is a ballet company in Egypt. They were recruiting or asking people to tryout to become dancers – ballet. And they pay them. So, I said ‘Oh, okay!’ So, I tried out and I was…accepted. So, I start training.”
I found it intriguing that he would try out for something as complex as ballet without any formal training.
Taher recalls, “As far as dancing, it was cold. But I was…I played a lot of sports before that.”
At 18, he was a “late-comer” and found himself among other dancers who already had many years of experience.
Taher was brutally honest with his assessment of his ability at that time, “I was really bad in comparison to the other people because they started dancing when they were eight, nine, ten. And here I am starting at the age of eighteen. And I hated that and I almost quit.”
It was on the advice of his father, that Taher intensified his training, to make up for lost time. Taher also confided that he was surprised by his father's support. “I took his advice. And I can see that (I) improved a lot. And by the time, six months later, I became one of the top dancers in the company.”
Taher came to the U.S. to pursue his education, but it was an ad he answered to earn some money that led him back to dance – and to Arthur Murray.
“Arthur Murray dance studios were looking for people. So, I applied. I said, ‘Oh, I can dance.’ And, of course, completely different! It’s ballroom and Latin – different than ballet.”
With dedication, Taher quickly made the transition to ballroom – and in five years found the opportunity to have his own studio, that brought him to Roanoke.
I then asked him what it is about ballroom dancing that accounts for its enduring appeal.
Taher answers, “It’s really the people. It’s a place that you meet the right people and enjoy talking to people. Besides, the relaxation, the stress relief. I guess the music, listen to people, try to remember the pattern and you’re always happy doing it.”
Now at 82, and with over 40 years of running his studio, I asked him what keeps him going. It's a question he says he gets asked frequently.
“Hmm…", Taher gives it some deep thought and then laughs before continuing. "I guess it’s just when you do something that you love, when you move and you hear the music, you think of the movement, the enjoyment, the feeling, the exercise… That’s, I think, the only thing I can answer that.”
Taher and his company of instructors continue to teach at his studio.
You can find the Arthur Murray Roanoke Facebook page here.
