episode 12: dancing through life's transitions, amra's armchair anecdotes

Discovering Dance at 30: Choosing Joy and Reclaiming Self
When life feels like it’s rushing by in a blur of obligations, a single moment of courage can spark profound transformation. For Tania Segura, passionate educator and co-founder of Rakata Melbourne’s Cuban dance troupe, that moment came at age 30, as a mother of three seeking a rare hour to herself.

​What began as an escape—one salsa class a week—quickly blossomed into a vocation. “From that one dance class, I became a performer. I met other dancers, became a teacher, and even met my now-husband,” Tania shares. Salsa offered not only movement, but a reconnection to joy, self-expression, and a vibrant new community. Her story is a reminder that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself or follow a creative spark, regardless of age or stage of life.

Teaching, Transferring Skills, and Building Confidence
Tania’s journey from classroom to dance studio shows how talents in one arena can be reimagined in another. “The skills of teaching can be transferred to anything…making complex things less abstract, one step at a time,” she explains. Transitioning from primary to high school teaching, then weaving her dance passion into curriculum—without classical dance training—Tania focused on skills like rhythm, balance, and expression, allowing students to showcase their strengths across genres, whether in ballet or breakdance.

Both Amra and Tania reflect on the role of passion in teaching, whether the subject is writing or salsa: “It’s the way you break things down and build confidence, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.” This approach cultivates inclusivity and supports students to find their voice, on the page or the dance floor.

Honouring Culture and Embracing Change in the Arts
Cuban salsa is more than movement—it’s living cultural heritage, continuously evolving over decades and oceans. “Salsa originated in Cuba, but as it spread, it became standardised…sometimes that means bastardization,” Tania notes. Rather than sticking strictly to tradition or chasing perfection, she honours salsa’s roots while celebrating its adaptability, encouraging dancers to see movement as storytelling and an expression of history, music, and identity.

This philosophy also echoes in the arts more broadly. Both speakers stress the role of the arts in wellbeing and resilience—during “the dark lockdown years,” people turned to dance, music, film, and making art to survive and connect. They agree: art should not be taken for granted, and everyone deserves the space to create and play.

Setting Boundaries: Knowing Your Worth in Creative Work
Running a dance business with her partner Gene taught Tania valuable lessons about valuing her time and expertise. Early offers to work “for exposure” or at token rates were tempting, but she learned to hold the line: “We don’t want to bring our price down because someone can’t recognize what we do.”

Creatives often face pressure to offer talents for free, but as Tania and Amra agree, knowing your worth is crucial—especially in industries where passion can be exploited. Transparent conversations about pricing, and setting limits on when to “say yes,” are as much about self-respect as about money. “We know what we can bring…If someone wants to do it cheaper or for free, that’s on them.”

Midlife, Menopause, and the Power of Saying Yes
A recurring theme in this conversation is letting go of perfectionism and fear of failure in midlife—and embracing possibility. Tania recounts leaping into modeling via an Instagram competition (applied on a whim after a blah day), getting signed to an agency, and encouraging her husband to join, too.

Serendipitous opportunities—from TV appearances to campaign features—arise from being open to new experiences and not overthinking the outcome.
Menopause, often shrouded in taboo, also gets candid attention. For Tania, it marks a powerful transition: “There’s something about leaving the maiden and embracing the crone…You get to own yourself a little more.” Both women discuss listening to their needs, seeking treatment if needed, and rejecting longstanding medical misogyny.

The Joy of Play and Lifelong Learning
Ultimately, the power of the arts, dance, and creativity lies not in accolades or even professionalization, but in personal fulfillment, play, and ongoing learning. Whether it’s choreographing new moves, learning self-tape audition skills, or picking up a paintbrush, Amra and Tania highlight that joy and self-expression are vital at any age.

“Art shouldn’t have to be monetised—creating and play is something we do because we’re human,” Tania insists. As we move through life’s transitions, refusing to be boxed in by expectations or age, we find that every chapter can be filled with new stories, new connections, and—just maybe—the dance of a lifetime.
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Watch or listen to the full episode
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https://www.amrapajalic.com/tania-segura.html