- Ludivine
From Montreal, de Montréal, introducing people, je vous présente des gens, met on a, rencontré sur un, dancefloor, pour parler de, to talk about, danz. Okay, so here we are, episode 2. I said in the first episode that I'm going to try to follow a logic of me meeting up or talking with these people from the dance floor. And the logic, which I didn't explain in my first episode, is this: so I started off with Pavel, which is the key that brought me into this community, and then I want to follow a trail. I want to move from one person to the other. And I want to try to respect the flow in which these person came into my life. And so, Nina, you're on the line with us.
- Nina
Hi.
- Ludivine
Hi. And I would say you're the second person I really connected with in this community. We connected and... Ever since we meet everywhere, when I meet you, you're always this beautiful, powerful human being. I would like to say woman, but I think you're that kind of human being that embraces both sides of your energy, feminine, masculine, and you're very playful, you're very inspiring. I even have... a nickname for you when we communicate, which is High Priestess. I see you that way. So I knew that would make you laugh. So thank you for accepting this invitation into this project.
- Nina
It's exciting. It's my honor, honestly.
- Ludivine
We're going to play this game just like we did with Pavel. I told you that I have a hat with questions in it. And the purpose is to talk about dance together, right?
- Nina
Yeah.
- Ludivine
And so I'm going to read the question that I took out of the hat. And then we're going to take it from there. So the question is, has dancing changed the way you see your own body?
- Nina
Oh, wow. That's a really good question for me, especially.
- Ludivine
I know. I'm so happy.
- Nina
Wow. I mean, because I mean, there's a whole background because I'm not a spring chicken. And I've struggled all my life with my body identity. And I shouldn't have because I have a God-given beautiful body.
- Ludivine
You do.
- Nina
And, you know, but of course, you know, as young adults, we compare, we look at magazines and it shows. So I was always, I'm not thin enough. I'm not fit enough and it was never enough and so yeah I got into the community I started dancing right I taught fitness for 35 years so it's always moving and but I stopped doing that and I knew I had to keep moving and and my son had introduced me to the dance scene in 2015 so I started just going anywhere I could dancing and for the first time in my life I didn't work out I wasn't really doing anything. I was eating whatever I wanted to. And I was just shedding pounds. I would be dancing sometimes for eight hours. And but it was effortless. Like going to the gym was a grunt, right? But to dance, to dance for eight hours was like flow. And it was seamless. And it was just, just beautiful. So yeah, it definitely changed my impression of my body. One I I think I didn't care as much. I didn't care really as much about how I looked. I didn't care. I certainly didn't care about how I danced in front of other people. I was just like, I'm me. I'm just doing my thing. And so I think it really brought me to a whole different level of self-love and I guess, yeah, just appreciation for what God gave me, you know? So, yeah.
- Ludivine
I have so many questions based on what you said right now.
- Nina
Okay, go for it.
- Ludivine
Okay, so, you know, for everyone to understand, you say that you can dance for eight hours, sometimes more, sometimes less.
- Nina
True
- Ludivine
But it's many, many hours per session, okay? And you said that you weren't a spring chicken. Would you mind telling us your age?
- Nina
Yeah, I was 61 in November.
- Ludivine
61, right?
- Nina
Yeah, yeah.
- Ludivine
So...
- Nina
I'm very proud of my age.
- Ludivine
And you should. That's why I'm happy that you're saying it, right? Because some people have this whole complex with age. But I'm so happy that we're talking about this. Because for me, I started off saying how powerful you are when I see you on the dancefloor. It's this whole energy you have in you. And it's ageless, right?
- Nina
Yeah.
- Ludivine
And when we meet on the dancefloor, you always inspire me something new or different. Because you also like to have fun with how you dress and how you show up in an event. And you always follow, I guess, an intuition, a feeling of how you want to go there and in what kind of energy and what flow. But coming back to your body, like sometimes, for example, you put a crop-top and we see your like your skin you know you we see your muscles we see your your actual body and every time I'm so impressed and I'm thinking wow you know I'm 48 and so I'm also one of the eldest in this community right
- Nina
Yep
- Ludivine
And I I look at you and I know that dancing does a good thing to our body. It helps our body stay fit. And that's exactly what you just said, right?
- Nina
Yes, absolutely. Effortlessly.
- Ludivine
Exactly.
- Nina
Effortlessly. Like you said, there's no grunt, there's no grind, there's no post-workout.
- Ludivine
No, and you talked about the flow. And when you dance, I love dancing with you because I always feel like you're moving in this, you know, the infinity symbol?
- Nina
Yes, yes.
- Ludivine
Like. that's how I see you move on the floor.
- Nina
Wow!...
- Ludivine
Like you just flow that way you know with your arms and I just love that rhythm you have and the way you hear music and and you just go on and on and on and you have so much energy and again we're coming back with this age right like socially so many people think that aging means stopping moving.
- Nina
Oh absolutely
- Ludivine
Right?
- Nina
Oh yeah. Yep!
- Ludivine
And you inspire the whole community to never stop moving.
- Nina
That's what I always say, you know, because people ask me all the time, how, And I just say, don't ever stop dancing. If that's your thing, if that's the thing that inspires you, that makes you glow, then don't stop. And whatever your thing is, whether it's art or, you know, walking in nature or, you know, traveling, do it because you'll stay young.
- Ludivine
For sure. But coming back to dancing, because I... I think you also do yoga, right?
- Nina
Yes.
- Ludivine
Yes. And it's also a big part of your life.
- Nina
Yeah. Well, just, you know, I just do my own thing. I do a combination of yoga and musculars, but I just do it on my own every couple of days. And, you know, just so I can keep in form, I guess, you know?
- Ludivine
But would you say that dancing is your main activity?
- Nina
Oh, yeah, for sure. Definitely. Yeah,
- Ludivine
It's so interesting.
- Nina
I do the other things so that I can always dance.
- Ludivine
And that's perfect because that's what I was going to say is that yesterday, you know, like Instagram, we have reels that are suggested to us. And yesterday I came upon a reel where it was this dancer. I think he does break dancing in France. Anyways, I didn't know the guy, but it was really interesting because he was saying he was getting older. I don't know. Maybe he's in his 40s. And let's say you started dancing and this is a... you know, as a teenager. And he said, you know, before I didn't care about taking care of my body because I was young. And so I just dance and dance and dance.
- Nina
Right.
- Ludivine
But now he was saying, you know, like, I better understand that dancing is the activity, but my body is a tool and I need to take care of my tool.
- Nina
Exactly.
- Ludivine
And I think you have that understanding, right? Like that's exactly it, what you just said, doing yoga, doing... the muscular exercises, they're all...
- Nina
In order to be able to dance.
- Ludivine
To dance all that time and keep up, right? And do that activity that brings you that joy.
- Nina
Yeah, because I know that that's what floats my boat. That's what's keeping me young. That is what has built a community. I mean, before I started dancing, you know, in this community, I maybe had five friends. And now, you know, I can't, like, a hundred.
- Ludivine
Listen, you're the kind of person who goes on the floor and hugs pretty much everyone,
- Nina
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
- Ludivine
You know? And you, you have this very personal connection with each and everyone. That's also very inspiring to me. Like you, you seem to know people in a very deep way, even though there's no long conversations on, on the dancefloor. That's, you know, like. Kind of a rule...
- Nina
We shouldn't be...
- Ludivine
We all respect, right? Like dancers, that's what we do. We dance on the floor, we don't talk. But I've seen you so many times with so many different people. And every time you hug someone, first, you take that moment and you really invest it. And you've done that with me too. I remember one time we hugged and I guess I was quick about it and you just pulled me back to you.
- Nina
Well, I have this thing. I do 20 second hugs because when you do a 20 second hug, you have heart resonance with the person and you can feel it. If you stop and actually pay attention, you can actually feel it. And I've had I've turned so many people on to the 20 second hug. So, yeah, I love it. And and I do it, too, because I this community is given so much to me. So I'm so, so grateful. It's gotten me through some very difficult times. And I love so many people in this community and I want to show them just like the DJs. I always show them and, you know, I never hold back my praise and appreciation and gratitude. And I think that's the way I think it's the way it should be. And it's changed my life ever since I started doing that.
- Ludivine
Yes. Well, you know, I, I'm not sure if it changed your life because I think you've always been this very generous person. It's just that finding this community and this, this space space to express who you really are and that love that's in you. I think you're just in the perfect space to do that. And it resonates and there's this cycle of love, right?
- Nina
Hmm, true, yeah...
- Ludivine
Anyways, but of course, yes, it changes our lives. Like it changed mine too. You know, that's what I was telling Pavel in the first episode for years and years, and you know this...
- Nina
Yes.
- Ludivine
Like I dance on my own, you know, Like I didn't think that the community existed. And oh, my God, now I'm so happy to feel that I'm going to meet just anybody from the community. You know, like when I go out, I don't have a plan. Oh, I'm going to see this person or that person. I just know I'm going to bump into...
- Nina
Somebody!
- Ludivine
people from the community.
- Nina
Right, right!.
- Ludivine
And it's always going to be fun and joyful and filled with love, you know.
- Nina
It's really special when you're at these events. like you say, and you walk in and you'll see, you know, three, four, five, however many people you know, you give them all hugs, but then pretty much immediately it's dance. And it's just, I feel like we, the dancing together with a community like this, we light ourselves up and we light each other up and it just, boom, the whole, the vibration of the whole place is risen and the light is shining. And I honestly, my belief is that that's how we change the world.
- Ludivine
Definitely. I think we share that belief, you and I, and it's so powerful to do that, right? And we have a responsibility to do it too, because not every human being can do it on this planet. And here we have this opportunity because we're in a peaceful place on earth and we have abundance. We have abundance of these dance events also and these great... venues like our problem here that's what i always say like to people of the community our problem here is we have to choose
- Nina
That's it every weekend it's like oh my goodness
- Ludivine
Where are we going you know exactly we want to separate we want to be everywhere right and uh but that's a beautiful problem of course but that's also our responsibility too to...
- Nina
I used to have i used to have so much FOMO in the beginning when i first started but now i just have this feeling that i'm exactly where i'm supposed to be. And it hasn't disappointed me. You know, ever since I dropped the FOMO and just know that I'm where I'm supposed to be, I have the best time. I have the most incredible experiences.
- Ludivine
And you have that in your body. So that's it. It's our 15-minute chat, Nina.
- Nina
Wow.
- Ludivine
Wasn't that quick?
- Nina
That was super quick. And that was awesome.
- Ludivine
Thank you so much for accepting. to be a part of this and I knew that it was going to be a great conversation.
- Nina
Of course, of course. It's like, yeah, it's just like friends talking about our favorite subject.
- Ludivine
Exactly!...
- Nina
Actually, I was talking, you know, Nancy, Alison's friend.
- Ludivine
Yes!
- Nina
Yeah, I was talking to her yesterday. And I was talking about Dixon.
- Ludivine
That was amazing, I know.
- Nina
And I she she said, you know, Nina, when you're talking about music or dancing, she said, you light up. I said, she said, I can feel and see your light from here.
- Ludivine
Oh, yeah.
- Nina
But it's true, though. It's like, ah, it's my favorite thing, you know?
- Ludivine
Yeah, it is. And I think it's our favorite thing because we understand how it fuels us with something that is very pure.
- Nina
Yes!
- Ludivine
And it's food, right? It's food for our souls. And our souls, I think it's, again, we're coming back to that love cycle, right? Like, we know it's not only our ego having fun and enjoying ourselves. It's also... We know that if we go there and we do that activity, which is our favorite activity, well, we're blessed that way, right? We're going to bring that joy into the world.
- Nina
Yeah, exactly. I used to always say that to people, you know, like fill your cup up and then go forth and spread those seeds.
- Ludivine
Yes.
- Nina
You know? Yes.
- Ludivine
Amazing. Well, thank you. We have to say bye now because
- Nina
I'm going to, I'm going to see you at Burning Sun, right?
- Ludivine
Okay, wait, we need to end the interview properly. And then we're going to chat you and I. So,
- Nina
Oh, sorry! Are we still being?... Okay.
- Ludivine
It's okay. We didn't cut up the interview per se. So thank you so much for participating in this. And yes, we're going to chat a little bit afterwards, Nina.
- Nina
Okay, awesome. Thank you so much. This was fun.
- Ludivine
Yes, it was. Nina said she isn't a spring chicken. Nonetheless, at 61 years old, she embodies eternity, floating on dance floors. drawing infinity symbols in the air with her gracious hands and on the ground with her shuffling feet. Her energy born of equal parts of the child and the wise. Her energy vibing unity, female, male, universal, open, welcoming. Her body is her tool, the vehicle of what she moves on the floor, of what she brings there, to everyone she crosses paths with. Having taught fitness for 35 years, she discovered the effortless pleasure of dancing in 2015 and fell in love with that love, that joy, that space that felt like home. Our body is our responsibility, not our doctors, not our life partners. We must eat well, sleep, recuperate, stretch, strengthen, to enjoy it to its fullest. Our body brings us from point A to point B, but above all, it gives us the sensual experiences that helps us understand how we are connected to this world, how we are a part of it. With our eyes, we position ourselves in this great architecture that is nature. With our nose, we pick up the infinite spectra of sense. With our tongue and mouth, we enjoy foods and drinks. With our skin, we connect through touch. And with our ears, we channel sounds. Our body is our gateway to pleasure in all of its forms. But our body does age, even if fueled by timeless energy. Our cells lose their rejuvenation power. Our internal mechanisms slow down and their efficiency are diminished. Sure, but then, how we choose to groove with this time that rules our here and now is our own doing. To dance is a key to maintain our global well-being at whatever age. In our bodies, we have hormones that control our moods, our metabolisms, our homeostasis, amongst other things. Dancing produces endorphins, acting as a natural booster in reducing stress. As little as 15-minute sessions of grooving lowers cortisol and boosts happiness. Dancing also promotes the growth of new neural connections at all ages. But of course, as we grow older, this way of boosting memory, mental agility and cognitive flexibility is a cherry on top of our joy sundae. Appearance-wise, with the fact that this physical activity increases blood flow, skin keeps its healthy glow, and our body stays resilient by toning its muscles and bone density through movement. If you ask AI about dancing, keeping human beings young, it will give you that type of an answer. Dancing is widely considered an effective fountain of youth because it combines physical exercise, mental stimulation, and social engagement, to slow the aging process. Like I said, I'm 48 years old. Dancing has always been my main physical activity. I've always moved to music, but only really started connecting the dots with how it made me feel emotionally after starting raving around 18. Younger I practiced classical ballet. The rigidness of confining movements to a choreography was never fully satisfying for my body. Of course, watching a ballet show or any other type of dance being performed is of great interest to me. But when I move, I want to be free. I want to be playful. I want to be mindless to dive into mindfulness. Electronic dance music gave me that freedom, and I seized it in this lifetime. as soon as I discovered it. But throughout the years, some life events, like becoming a mother twice, made me shift my energy away from dance. Tending to my children's needs became my foremost priority. My own needs took the back seat for those infancy years. And because I separated early from their dad, managing time meant juggling many balls at once. Dancing at events couldn't be a priority. So I danced when I could and where I could. Now my kids are teenagers, almost fully autonomous, but not completely yet. Grocery shopping, cooking, being a taxi are part of my actual reality. Many balls to juggle still, but going out dancing is part of maintaining my mental health as much as it helps me maintain my physical one. And my kids know. They know how happy it makes me. and they know that when I go move with others, I come back a better mother to them, having filled my cup up, as Nina said during our convo. Growing older is not the end of our love of dance. For many, it means managing time differently, organizing schedules accordingly, finding a way to maintain balance, considering that EDM dance events are mostly all-nighters. But Nina said it. Above dancing, there's the community and what it brings us. The connections we make on the dancefloors, they motivate us too. It would be possible to dance at home and in random places on our own, like I did for years. But that sense of collectiveness, that fun of pulsing with others, vibing close to each other, together as one, that's also what feeds us joy and turns back time in our bodies, nurturing our emotional body, our physical body, to live happier, longer, by means of moving on a dancefloor, seeing the smiles and lights, feeling the hugs and the sweat on our skin, hearing the beats, the drops, the melodies, smelling the incense, tasting the freshness of water that hydrates our flesh vehicle, effortless pleasures. Eternity encapsuled in the here and now at whatever age.
