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MANSFIELD — For Erin Wolford, dance isn’t just about performance — it’s about presence.
A choreographer, dance educator, and former musical theater performer, Wolford has spent years helping students of all ages find joy, confidence, and community through movement.
Now entering her eighth year as a jazz and tap specialist at the Richland Academy of the Arts, Wolford joined the Better Together podcast to share why she believes dance is for every body.
“Anyone can dance,” she said. “Anyone can move their body to music — that’s something any person can do, and any body can do.”
In this honest and energetic conversation, Wolford talks about how movement helps us process emotions, confront perfectionism, and feel more at home in our bodies.
She opens up about her own experiences — from learning to tap dance at age 16 to dancing through heartbreak during her divorce — and reflects on what it means to teach dance to both children and adults.
“Dance is vulnerable,” she said. “It’s asking you to step out in front of people and show your soul, and hope to God they don’t laugh at you.”
But through that vulnerability, Wolford has witnessed transformation. Whether she’s choreographing a high school musical or leading a beginner adult tap class, she sees the moment when someone decides to commit — to try the move, take up space, or simply keep going. And it’s in those moments, she said, that real growth happens.
“You never regret committing,” she said. “You just don’t.”
Wolford also discussed the unique joy of teaching older adults, including a 60+ tap class that’s become one of her favorite parts of the week.
“These are people who maybe didn’t have the chance to dance when they were younger,” she said. “They’ve always wanted to, and now they are. That’s powerful.”
For anyone curious about exploring dance, Wolford’s advice is simple: just show up.
“You have to have things in your life that bring you joy,” she said. “Dance will do that for you.”
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