Nowadays we say “Fifty is new thirty”. So then, what is hundred? Is hundred a new fifty?
Born in 1914, Eileen Kramer is more than 100 years old. She is an active dancer, choreographer and artist.
Also a costume designer and author, she calls herself “a soft dancer” and starts each day with strengthening and classical barre exercises, a cappuccino and a croissant.
“Everything happens at 100, everything changes,” she says. “Dancing; it psychologically strengthens me. I like looking at myself in the mirror. I like people to tell me that what I did was beautiful.”
Eileen started dancing at the age of 24. She first studied singing piano at the Conservatorium of Music. She soon joined the Vienna-borne Bodenwieser Modern Dance Company and toured with them for a decade.
She now lives in Sydney. Before this, she lived in West Virginia for many years, and before that New York, India, Paris and London.
“I lived in India for quite a long time, I danced there…and it gave me a purpose. I wasn’t just wandering about looking at things. I absorbed a lot in India.”
Lately, as she hit 100, she was involved in projects like her expressionist dance drama, ‘The Early Ones’, as well as further development of her memoirs book. Her previous self-published book is Walkabout Dancer
The theme of her dance drama The Early Ones was ‘we have something in us that we don’t always know about.’
That’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it?
The Inspiring Eileen campaign was held by Arts Health Institute as crowdfunding to help pay for her projects and future creative pursuits. Dr Maggie Haertsch, CEO of Arts Health Institute says about her:
“I have to say she is an extraordinary ball of energy. She is completely blind in one eye and she is making all the costumes and creating the set,” said Dr Haertsch. “She has turned ageing stereotypes on their head.”
Indeed, such untiringly creative women are an epitome of inspiration for all of us much younger women and men. Our craving for what we love to do should continue till our end.
See another movie on her dancing and choreography here
Information adapted from SMH’s Eileen Kramer and Danceline’s A media darling at 100
Image: dancelines
We Extraordinary Women 
My aunt worked at a nursing home when she was in her twenties. A woman lived there who was 114 years old. My aunt asked her what it was like being that age. She replied, the first hundred years are the hardest.
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That must have been a lovely experience for your aunt! One hundred and fourteen sounds like a huge amount of life, given than much younger people lose hope and forget to live whatever number of years they can manage to live.
But she is right – probably after crossing hundred, there is no fear of death and that is when good things begin…when we are no more anxious, no more trying to prove ourselves to others.
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incredible ——- inspiration and pride for all women—- she has proved that age is just a number———-
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Exactly so Tanveer! It is the psychological aging that is more dangerous, when the will to live and enjoy life is gone.
Thanks for the follow!
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my pleasure WeW– stay blessed
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