Elderly Woman Hadn't Gone Salsa Dancing In 55 Years, Then One Man Changed That
An Instagram Reel of a man taking an old woman salsa dancing has gone viral in a wholesome moment sweeping social media.
The elderly woman said that she used to love going salsa dancing, but she hadn’t done it in 55 years, so the man got her all glammed up and took her to a salsa party so that she could do it once more.
"Like Old Times" is a show on Instagram Reels in which elderly people can relive the things they loved to do when they were young. The show is produced by Snackish Media and hosted by actor and content creator Johnny Gaffney.
The show has gone viral multiple times, but their recent episode has given them their latest viral moment, garnering nearly 4 million views on Instagram, as well as hundreds of thousands of likes and over a thousand comments, in just five days.
In the video, Gaffney takes the woman, named Sandra, salsa dancing for the first time in over half a century, resulting in a heartwarming moment and a very fun night out.
The video begins with Gaffney approaching Sandra on a sidewalk and asking her to tell him something she used to love doing but that she hasn't done in a long time.
"Oh, I miss salsa dancing," Sandra says, to which Gaffney asks if she'd want him to take her out salsa dancing that weekend. "Really? Yeah!" Sandra responds.
One week later, Gaffney and Sandra are sitting on a bench. "I promised I would take you salsa dancing tonight, but there's one problem," he says.
"I don't quite know how to salsa dance," he says after a pause. "But it's okay, because I'm going to take a lesson while we get you glammed up for tonight," he tells Sandra, who seems excited by the prospect.
Once in the salon, one of the show's producers asks Sandra when the last time she went salsa dancing. "It's been about 55 years," she replies.
The producer then asks Sandra if she thinks Gaffney will be able to keep up with her on the dance floor, and she says he won't.
He asks Sandra if she remembers the first time she ever salsa danced, and she recounts that it was when she was 20 years old. She adds that her husband liked to dance and that they used to "go and dance all the time."
"What do you love most about salsa dancing?" he asks Sandra, to which she replies that it's "moving your body. I don't have the same body, but that's the greatest."
Finally, the salon shows Sandra how she looks, and she says, "Wow, I look beautiful. Ready to rumble."
In between Sandra's interview, the video also shows a montage of Gaffney in a one-on-one salsa lesson, trying to imitate the moves that his teacher shows him. "I think I have moves," he concludes after his lesson.
Gaffney then shows up at Sandra's home with a bouquet of flowers. He asks her if she's ready for a night out, to which he replies enthusiastically with a "Yes!"
Gaffney tells Sandra that he's been practising and that he'll try to keep up with her, before the video shows a dance space full of people salsa dancing. Gaffney and Sandra dance together for a bit. But Gaffney says that he "quickly realized one salsa lesson wasn't enough."
"I wanted to make sure Sandra still had a great time, so I invited other more experienced dancers to salsa with her," Gaffney says, as the video shows Sandra dancing with other men and on her own, looking like she's enjoying herself.
"Okay, I wasn't necessarily the best salsa partner," says Gaffney as Sandra and he walk back from the salsa place, "but I did take you salsa dancing," he adds, and Sandra agrees.
"So, I have a question for you: Was it like old times?" Gaffney asks.
"Yes, it was magnificent," Sandra answers, "I had a great, great time." Gaffney then hugs her and tells her she's the best.
In the comments, "Like Old Times" gave more information on Sandra’s life story:
"Her family history is packed with some insane details, from the time her dad almost sold her into marriage to the ice cream man to her teenage years running in a Brooklyn girl gang, when she would famously leave the house in one outfit and change into another just to go out dancing … or fighting."
The show also wrote about Sandra’s current life, saying that she has two children, three grandchildren and that she loves to cook and dance.
Other commenters on the video expressed their love and endearment for Sandra and her personality, with many remarking on the video’s wholesomeness.
