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Two Step for the Soul
By Holly O’Dell
With years of competitive dancing under her belt, Deb Raisner, D.C., takes center stage.
When Deb Raisner, D.C., began dancing, it was simply for the fun of it. But it soon turned into a meaningful endeavor that led to traveling to and participating in competitions, a healthy lifestyle and lifelong friendships. “Dancing is almost a spiritual thing for me,” says Raisner, a graduate of Sherman College in Spartanburg, S.C., who has been practicing chiropractic in Colorado Springs, Colo., since 1981. “It’s very social and good exercise. Dance makes me feel very much alive.”
Deb and her husband, Bill Raisner, entered the country western circuit of dance in 1991. “Most people think of line dancing, but that’s not it at all,” Raisner explains. “It’s very similar to the ballroom competitive circuit, but we dance to country music.” The dances comprise of two-step, waltz, cha-cha, East coast/West coast swing, polka and nightclub two-step. The costumes are also a bit more country themed, with a bit of fringe, dance boots and cowboy hats for the men.
The couple soon found that dancing would become more than a casual hobby. They took formal lessons and worked regularly with choreographers and coaches, becoming serious contenders within the competitions of the United Country Western Dance Council. Eventually, Raisner and her husband built a dance floor in the basement in order to continuously improve. “I had an active practice at that time and two children,” Raisner says. “We were definitely busy. The hardest part was making sure we had dinner together every night. And then Bill and I would practice after dinner while the kids did their homework. We would meet at lunch and practice an hour at lunch as well.”
All that rehearsing, Raisner believes, was necessary to maintain proper form and technique. “At that level, you have to,” she says. “It’s still considered amateur. Most people we competed against as we got higher and higher up didn’t have regular jobs. They were dance instructors, and we were trying to constantly figure out a way to keep in it. People would say to us, ‘You could do this for a living,’ and I’d say, ‘But I already have a job I enjoy doing for a living.’”
For the competitions, Raisner and Raisner traveled to places such as San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix, New Mexico and Nashville. At their highest, the couple placed third in the World Competition in the Champions Division. Beyond the competitive aspect, Raisner found several other significant benefits to dancing. “The good news is that we didn’t have to work out beyond that,” Raisner says with a laugh. “I could eat whatever I wanted to. That was kind of fun.”
The pair also discovered the power of camaraderie among other dancers, forming lifelong friendships. “As we got into the competitive world of dancing, we got more attached to going around and seeing friends, as well as competing,” Raisner says. “That’s what made it especially fun and worth all the work. You feel bonded to these people. You all sweated and worried and were anxious before you went out there. You danced and either messed up big time or had a great dance. These people are very much like a family now.”
Raisner and Raisner also shared their experiences with others by offering private dance lessons at their home and in nightclubs. Additionally, they formed the Springs Dance Club, which now has 150 members. One of the biggest highlights for the couple was dancing on stage during a week’s worth of performances with Kenny Rogers at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The pair had heard about the opportunity through the country western circuit grapevine and joined three other couples for 10 performances. They also joined him for a performance in Dallas. “Who would have thought I would be a dancing girl in Las Vegas?” Raisner muses. “It was something completely out of my comfort zone, something completely outside of what I do for a living. It was a nice balance to do something where my mind wasn’t on bills to pay.”
Sadly, Raisner stopped dancing competitively after her husband, an ultralight pilot, died on a trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1998. For eight years after Raisner’s passing, Raisner kept in touch with her dance friends by judging various competitions. These days, Raisner dances once a week with the Springs Dance Club. “The club has now morphed into more swing music, which is blues, but we really dance to everything,” she says. “We’ll dance at a bar or at a dance studio as a group. Anytime I can, I try to figure out a way to dance.”
Of all the dances she performs, Raisner counts the waltz as her favorite. “I really love the waltz, but it’s not one you can do socially very well because you need a lot of room to do it,” she says. “Socially, the swing dances—particularly the West coast swing—are probably easier to do in a small space. That’s kind of a bluesy dance that’s fun to do.”
With popularity of shows such as “Dancing with the Stars,” Raisner sees a resurgence in popularity with not only ballroom dancing, but country western dancing as well. “People in my practice ask me all the time for the name of a good dance instructor,” says Raisner, who practices with her daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Vanessa and Jason Helfrich. “With these TV shows, I think there will be another resurgence of people getting into dancing.”
Though she may only have time for dancing once a week, Raisner doesn’t plan to cut it out of her routine anytime soon. “Dance is sort of its own reward in my soul,” says Raisner, who also counts skiing, mountain biking, hiking, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren as favorite ways to spend time. “It’s something that when I do it, I feel like I light up.”
Deb and her husband, Bill Raisner, entered the country western circuit of dance in 1991. “Most people think of line dancing, but that’s not it at all,” Raisner explains. “It’s very similar to the ballroom competitive circuit, but we dance to country music.” The dances comprise of two-step, waltz, cha-cha, East coast/West coast swing, polka and nightclub two-step. The costumes are also a bit more country themed, with a bit of fringe, dance boots and cowboy hats for the men.
The couple soon found that dancing would become more than a casual hobby. They took formal lessons and worked regularly with choreographers and coaches, becoming serious contenders within the competitions of the United Country Western Dance Council. Eventually, Raisner and her husband built a dance floor in the basement in order to continuously improve. “I had an active practice at that time and two children,” Raisner says. “We were definitely busy. The hardest part was making sure we had dinner together every night. And then Bill and I would practice after dinner while the kids did their homework. We would meet at lunch and practice an hour at lunch as well.”
All that rehearsing, Raisner believes, was necessary to maintain proper form and technique. “At that level, you have to,” she says. “It’s still considered amateur. Most people we competed against as we got higher and higher up didn’t have regular jobs. They were dance instructors, and we were trying to constantly figure out a way to keep in it. People would say to us, ‘You could do this for a living,’ and I’d say, ‘But I already have a job I enjoy doing for a living.’”
For the competitions, Raisner and Raisner traveled to places such as San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix, New Mexico and Nashville. At their highest, the couple placed third in the World Competition in the Champions Division. Beyond the competitive aspect, Raisner found several other significant benefits to dancing. “The good news is that we didn’t have to work out beyond that,” Raisner says with a laugh. “I could eat whatever I wanted to. That was kind of fun.”
The pair also discovered the power of camaraderie among other dancers, forming lifelong friendships. “As we got into the competitive world of dancing, we got more attached to going around and seeing friends, as well as competing,” Raisner says. “That’s what made it especially fun and worth all the work. You feel bonded to these people. You all sweated and worried and were anxious before you went out there. You danced and either messed up big time or had a great dance. These people are very much like a family now.”
Raisner and Raisner also shared their experiences with others by offering private dance lessons at their home and in nightclubs. Additionally, they formed the Springs Dance Club, which now has 150 members. One of the biggest highlights for the couple was dancing on stage during a week’s worth of performances with Kenny Rogers at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The pair had heard about the opportunity through the country western circuit grapevine and joined three other couples for 10 performances. They also joined him for a performance in Dallas. “Who would have thought I would be a dancing girl in Las Vegas?” Raisner muses. “It was something completely out of my comfort zone, something completely outside of what I do for a living. It was a nice balance to do something where my mind wasn’t on bills to pay.”
Sadly, Raisner stopped dancing competitively after her husband, an ultralight pilot, died on a trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1998. For eight years after Raisner’s passing, Raisner kept in touch with her dance friends by judging various competitions. These days, Raisner dances once a week with the Springs Dance Club. “The club has now morphed into more swing music, which is blues, but we really dance to everything,” she says. “We’ll dance at a bar or at a dance studio as a group. Anytime I can, I try to figure out a way to dance.”
Of all the dances she performs, Raisner counts the waltz as her favorite. “I really love the waltz, but it’s not one you can do socially very well because you need a lot of room to do it,” she says. “Socially, the swing dances—particularly the West coast swing—are probably easier to do in a small space. That’s kind of a bluesy dance that’s fun to do.”
With popularity of shows such as “Dancing with the Stars,” Raisner sees a resurgence in popularity with not only ballroom dancing, but country western dancing as well. “People in my practice ask me all the time for the name of a good dance instructor,” says Raisner, who practices with her daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Vanessa and Jason Helfrich. “With these TV shows, I think there will be another resurgence of people getting into dancing.”
Though she may only have time for dancing once a week, Raisner doesn’t plan to cut it out of her routine anytime soon. “Dance is sort of its own reward in my soul,” says Raisner, who also counts skiing, mountain biking, hiking, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren as favorite ways to spend time. “It’s something that when I do it, I feel like I light up.”
©2008 Today's Chiropractic