A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO ENJOYING THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF DANCING
By TODD C. ELLIOTT
Rody BROUSSARD
AND LYD WALLS
On a humid Lake Charles evening last year, while most people settled into the comfort of routine, local visual artist Lyd Walls dance-stepped deliberately out of hers. Known for expressing emotion through canvas and color, Walls has recently found a new medium —movement. Inside the polished floors and welcoming glow of Bayouland Ballroom, she traded paintbrushes for dance shoes, discovering how rhythm can speak as loudly as art. What began as curiosity soon evolved into commitment, drawing her into a world where discipline, elegance and joy intersect.
In less than two years, Walls’ dedication carried her far beyond the studio walls. Under the tutelage of Rody Broussard, owner and instructor at Bayouland Ballroom, she entered competitions across Texas and emerged victorious — earning first place honors in Cha Cha, Rumba and East Coast Swing. The wins are impressive, but the story runs deeper than trophies. Broussard’s guidance helped Walls channel her artistic instincts into structured motion, proving that creative expression can flourish just as vividly on the dance floor as it does on a blank canvas. Walls’ work in the dance studio has resulted in something beyond accolades. Her journey highlights the powerful health and social benefits of dance.
“It looked fun, so I searched for a dance studio and found Rody Broussard,” said Walls. “Using your body to express yourself is so different than with painting. It’s more personal. It’s more exposing. There’s a huge vulnerability factor. When I’m dancing, I’m connected to the emotion in that moment for everyone to see. You’re seeing it emerge in real time. There are no edits or do-overs. Surrendering to the music has helped to strengthen my intuition when I paint and to allow whatever flows out to just exist on the canvas without judgment. As an abstract artist, this is vital to my creative process.” In less than a year, Walls learned that dance is a two-sided coin consisting of social dancing and competitive dancing. She embraced both and went from student to champion — a moment that she realized under the tutelage of a dance instructor, dance could be more than a hobby.
“The first day, I walked into class and as soon as I started to move I knew,” said Walls. “My soul just said, ‘this!’ and I had nothing to compare it to. But being coached and trained under someone who has been at it for more than 45 years speaks for itself. The way Rody Broussard focuses on the micro details makes all the difference.” Walls is now a dance champion, and she honors the medium of dance. “Between rhythm dances and smooth dances, the rhythm dances are definitely more me,” she said. “Those include the Cha-Cha, East Coast Swing, Polka and Rumba. I just feel more expressive, in general. I especially love all the Latin rhythm dances. West Coast Swing is a dance that I’ve been really drawn to recently. It’s a combination of rhythm and smooth, and at higher levels, it allows for improvisation within the dance. I can’t even describe what it’s like to create something in the moment with a complete stranger — it’s beyond words, literally. You can only feel something like that. And I am only just entering this realm. The experience is addicting, and I’m always up for the next opportunity.”
Competing in Texas added to her confidence. Entering a Pro-Am dance competition paired her with Broussard — this time as a dance partner rather than instructor. Broussard was the “pro,” as in “professional,” and Walls was the “am” as in “amateur.” But Broussard brought out more than dance moves in Walls.
“I’m a hardcore introvert, so competing — especially in front of a crowd — was way outside of my comfort zone,” she said. “But doing it over and over built resilience. I learned how to sit with pressure and anxiety instead of letting it stop me. Walking onto the floor became easier with time. Being in front of people isn’t actually the hardest part — it’s making myself go out there when I want to throw up. When it’s done, though, I feel incredibly empowered. It’s proof that I can push through a fear I’ve carried since childhood and still carry as an adult.”
Walls says there are mental and physical health benefits to dancing. To dance competitively is to engage your muscles in ways you’re not used to. She said dancing in general makes her feel stronger and improves her posture. Those who “dance the night away” also dance the stress away, says Walls.
Ballroom dancing is often very social. That’s another health benefit — it combats feelings of social anxiety. But dancing also provides a sense of community among the network of social dancers.
“This introvert will never miss a chance to social dance if I can help it,” Walls said. “My social battery usually runs out after a couple of hours, but I can go all night if I’m dancing. I’ve formed close connections with our little crew here in Lake Charles, and I have friends in the dance community that I see and dance with regularly in Houston, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.
“Of course there were moments of self-doubt. But when I decide I want to do something, I’m incredibly determined. I’m passionate. I love learning. And I’m deeply committed to personal growth. Even when doubt shows up, it doesn’t stop me — it just becomes part of the process. I’m always pushing myself to evolve and become the best version of me, and I plan to do that for as long as I’m here.”
Then there’s her instructor and dance partner. Broussard drifts into the hallways of Central School in Lake Charles like a cowboy. He saunters along the hardwood floors; his face underneath the hat tells you he’s been everywhere. Students line up outside Bayouland Ballroom dance studio on Central School’s third floor because Broussard is patient enough to teach what he knows. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he teaches Country-Western and Jitterbug. He also holds a social dance group night. “I ask my students this all the time: Is dancing a science or an art?,” says Broussard as he folds his hands together. “The answer is ‘yes,’ and you either learn it or you feel it. And obviously, you learn it. But if you feel it, then you put a secondary element of performance to it. Even on a social dance floor.”
Broussard says he often gets phone calls from people inquiring about the lessons — a husband who wants to give his wife something special for her birthday; couples lamenting about how they attended a Louisiana festival but didn’t know how to dance; a bride or a groom with no idea how to dance at their own wedding. The bottom line is that every potential dancer wanting to learn has the same desire: to enjoy their life to the fullest.
“Lyd Walls has a love for dancing,” says Broussard. “She’s a natural. She’s multi-talented. She didn’t know she could dance to this level. But everyone starts with social dancing. And if you love the social and want to take it to the next level, then there’s the competition dancing. Most people have a passion. For some it’s fishing; for others it’s quilting. For Lyd, it’s probably painting. And for a lot of people, dancing is extreme, provided that they learn it and practice it.”
Broussard says that on the dance competition circuit, some of the competition judges have dubbed Walls a “hotshot.” Even in her amateur status, he says, she’s remarkably good.
Walls, in fact, was good enough to take first place in the Waltz Across Texas 2025 competition for “Female Pro-Am Pre Newcomer,” and both Walls and Broussard took first place overall as well as first place in the category of Cha Cha. First place for Rumba. First Place for East Coast Swing. The teacher and student saw miles and miles of Texas on the road to Lyd’s first dance competition. And Texas saw them as champions.
Walls indeed waltzed across Texas, and she came back to the Lake Area changed and new.
To anyone thinking about taking that first dance step, Walls has this advice:
“No one is born knowing how to dance,” she said. “Every dancer had a first class, a first step, a moment of uncertainty. We all start from the same place. The community is supportive, because learning never stops for any of us. Courage isn’t about being fearless — it’s about pushing past your fears and choosing to show up for yourself.”
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