It was Jim Benjamin’s holiday party four years ago when his wife, Suzi, decided that she would never sit through another social function watching other people dance. Now, the couple dances together a few times every week and has won regional and national awards for their skillful steps.

“Jim was working at Simpson College, and I went with him to his Christmas party,” Suzi Benjamin said. “There was a live band, and when Jim asked me to dance, I told him that I didn’t know how. I thought, ‘Next Christmas, I’m going to be able to dance.’”

Jim, who is an assistant professor of computer science at Simpson, said he only knew a couple of steps himself when his wife expressed interest in taking lessons. Suzi began lessons first at the Des Moines Ballroom Dance Studio, and he soon joined her. The Benjamins found that dancing was something they both enjoyed, and could also do year-round, unlike hiking, one of their other hobbies.

“I traded in my hiking boots for high heels,” Suzi said. “It’s a definite stress reliever. When I started, I was a consultant for the state doing database work. When I first came here, I would be so stressed out, but once I got on the floor and concentrated on my steps, I forgot my bad day.”

Jim said in addition to stress relief, he noticed other benefits. “When I first started, I was about 60 pounds heavier than I am now,” he said. “I’ve lost a little over a pound a month since we started.”

In addition to making some changes to his diet, Jim said a main reason why he continues to lose weight dancing is because he’s gotten in a routine with it. As members of the Des Moines Ballroom Dance Studio, he and Suzi are able to get in six to 10 hours of practice time each week at their convenience.

“Backpacking was harder for us to find places to go, and it was literally harder for us to get in shape doing it,” he said. “To stay in shape for hiking, about all you can do is walk on a treadmill during the winter, and I hated it. Dancing is so much more relaxing and enjoyable, you still get a lot of exercise from it and you can do it year-round.”

The more the Benjamins have learned about dancing, the more they’re convinced that it will be a part of their lives for many years to come.

“There has been a study done that showed that dance is one of the best forms of exercise against any kind of aging,” Jim said. “Your mind is working all the time, thinking about the steps and listening to the rhythm and the sound of music, and of course, the physical part.”

The Benjamins compete about six times per year, which keeps them conscientious with their practice schedules. Their first competition was about eight months after their first lesson, and Jim looks back on it as a “pitiful” performance. They have improved greatly since then, and even won two titles in waltz and fox trot in August at the national amateur competition.

Dancing has also brought the Benjamins together more often, which Jim says has improved the good relationship they already had before they took lessons together.

“For one thing, this isn’t a singles sport,” he said. “The couple is a unit, and the man and woman are equal in this sport.”

Jim said dancing also encourages a heightened sense of discipline and consideration for others. He said unlike other physical competitions like basketball games, where tempers ignite often, in dancing, no matter what happens, you always have to wear a smile.

“Even if you don’t like the music or if you collide with another couple on the floor, you cannot show a temper, because that will really get you slammed by the judges,” he said. “It’s important to show respect to others on the floor and to your partner, and above all else, you have to smile and look like you’re enjoying yourself. These are good skills to have.”