Teaching ballet at 100 years old - 29th June 2026

Evelyn Cordero's danced since she was four years old. She runs her own dance academy in Santiago, in Chile.

She may be 100 years old, but Evelyn's love of ballet is still strong. She passes this love on to her ballet students.

Evelyn can't wear pointed ballet shoes anymore. She teaches her students in trainers.

Evelyn Cordero: "I even think I've got out of bed in my sleep and started dancing. And I dream that I'm dancing. I do these beautiful leaps, touching the ceiling, I don't know, I lift off the ground. Then the turns, I do a ton of turns."

Every week, Evelyn gives a 90-minute ballet class for older women. She uses ballet to help women who are between 50 and 80 years old keep moving.

Evelyn Cordero: "And I also think about people's health. Because ballet is also good for your health since it works all the muscles, and your whole mind as well. It's a very complete form of exercise."

The number of older people in Chile's increasing. There's also an increase in depression in this group.

Evelyn's ballet classes are good for physical and mental health. This work has earned her a position as one of Chile's '100 Senior Leaders'.

Evelyn's also shared her love of ballet with her family. She's taught her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Two of her daughters have become professional dancers.

Both daughters now teach at Evelyn's academy. But Evelyn continues to give lessons, even with bad hearing. She may be slower too, but she's not planning on quitting.