Cookie Joe | Dance Teacher & Breast Cancer Survivor

Cookie Joe is a friend of Dana from years ago, she's an incredible dance teacher and a breast cancer survivor.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Cookie Joe is a ballet teacher.I've known her for years. She helps
out the Star of Hope and she'sgoing to take on cartwheels for her seventieth
birthday. Find out how many she'sgoing to do and why on earth she
would do it. She is myguest on my Data Tyson podcast and always
want to thank Gallery Furniture's Mattress Macfor being so generous and supporting this podcast.

(00:24):
Cookie Joe, you are inspiring me. First of all, I want
to introduce you to our Sonny listenersand viewers if they don't know you.
Cookie Joe is the iconic ballet teacherin Sugarland, and you teach the kids
at the Star of Hope. It'sCookie Joe's dance school. You not only
teach the kids how to dance,you teach the kids' manners, how to

(00:46):
be professional in their craft. Youteach the parents how to do the same.
So whichever venue you're performing in,there is never a complaint by that
venue because the kids know you eitherplay by my rules professional rules because you're
a dancer who danced with Patrick Swayze, or you're out. So that is

(01:07):
my introduction to Cookie Joe, whois just You're just a gem in Houston,
and I'm so glad I got youon my podcast. Thank you,
Thank you very much. I appreciatethat You're very sweet and you have started
to do something which is called inspiringus ladies to do the unthinkable. You
are going to do a cartwheel challengeagain, and I want us to kind

(01:30):
of roll back and get to thepoint where you thought, wherever you were,
I'm going to do a cartwheel challenge. What happened? Well, of
course, you know during COVID,We're a big organization that does a lot
of fundraising, and during the COVIDexperience, there was no get togethers,
and I still wanted to do somethingthat you know, brought people together,

(01:52):
you know online and you know inthe electronic world. Right, So what
I did did? I want todo one hundred cartwell's to celebrate ten years
of my titanium hips. I havetwo hip replacements, So at ten years
I got I did to one hundredand two cartwheels and it was great and
it was wonderful. Then in twentytwenty one, breast cancer. And when

(02:15):
I got diagnosed with breast cancer andI was sixty eight at the time,
I said on my seventieth birthday,I'm going to do one hundred and seven
cartwheels because my birthday's on the seventeen. And I didn't want to do seventy
cart wheels because that's no big deal. And I didn't want to do one
hundred and seventy because I figured peoplewould get bored. So I thought one
hundred and seven that's a good number. So I'm i to do one hundred

(02:35):
and seven cart wheels that I'm raisingmoney to my you know, my support
has always been about children, andso I am working with the Exchange Cup
of sugar Land and that is anorganization that preventing child abuse is a big
part of it, but also weteach they want to inspire patriotism. We
hand out flags at all the Americanflags at all the community events so they

(02:59):
can it's called a kid have Flaggedaway. We promote taking care of our
first responders and our military. Andthen we also go and play bingo and
serve to the senior citizens, whichis so funny because I am one,
but I I go play my peece. But you know, just but it's
a great organization, and this wasmy way of saying Thank you to sugar

(03:20):
Land Extrage Club for all the supportsthey've given me, because they've been behind
every event I've done, whether it'sbeen for breast cancer, for children,
for the Star of Hope, everythingthat I believe in and want to do
to help the community, they've supportedme. So this is my way of
giving back to support them. Somy goal is I'd love to make enough
money to help take care of someof the organizations that we support, Texana

(03:43):
Hope for Three, Child Advocates,all a lot of organizations that take care
of children and take care of thosein need, and take care of those
the Star of Hope. Just tryingto be an umbrella of support and love
in the community. Why cartwheels?What is your thing with cartwheels? Whenever
I opened my school, every timewe had one hundred percent attendance, this

(04:04):
Cookie would do a cartwheel and sothat was there. You know, yay,
miss Cookie did a cart Well,we had one hundred percent. Well,
then after when my hips you know, failed, and I got I
had to stop doing it. Well, then whenever I was ten years post
my surgery, I thought I'm gonnagive it a try, and I did
some really bad cartwheels, and Istarted training, and I think that's the

(04:27):
biggest deal, is that the thingabout commitment and perseverance, I started just
practicing and doing them. So I'vebeen in training now for the last few
months getting ready for this event.Yeah, I started out I could do
one car because I've had a doublemessec to me and in fact, it
hasn't been quite a year since mylast surgery. And I was you know,
there's an awful lot of petea thatgoes on and upper body strength is

(04:49):
a thing that you know, youtry to get back. So cart will's
were a great way to the trainingfor a cart was a great way to
get that back. Cart wills themselves, you know, it's you know,
is is a personal choice, butjust upper body stream. And so I
started trying and I got to dofive and then I started doing ten and
they say, you know as well, you know, I think I can
do this, So I'm ready.But what I really love too is I

(05:13):
have a coach. And my coachis one of my students who happens to
be on the spectrum. And it'sso cool because he has taken ownership of
me. He makes me practice,He helped me choose the music. He
counts out loud, and he timesmy breaks. So it's so wonderful to
have one of my kids have aposition or a pacy position of honor in
this whole event. So it's justblessings along the way all the way across.

(05:38):
You're trying to find ways to makeit mean something to a lot of
people. How do you well,how do you train to do one hundred
and seven car wheels? Well,first you do one, right, I
mean, like, what what wouldyour day be like when you're practicing to
get ready for this event? Whatis your day like? I do a
lot of push ups. I doa lot of a plank holding, you
know, plank position. I doa lot of I go to the gym

(06:00):
every day and I do pilates fourdays a week. Of course, I
teach ballet six days a week,so I get a lot of exercise.
So I'm already fit and the gettingready, you know, getting ready for
this getting ready to perform. Youknow, I'm still performing as a dancer
at the Worthom and different venues aroundthe city because I now I'm doing to

(06:21):
promote recover from breast cancer, becauseI want to show that there's life after
what you go through with that.But so and you know, the other
part too is the fact that youknow, I'm not a wealthy person,
but I can do stuff, soI can help try to generate financial support
for organizations that needed. So thisis one of those things where if you

(06:42):
like me and you want to supportme and you want to help you know
the organizations that we support, youcan always just text for one four four
four and text the word cutwheel andthey'll give you an opportunity you can actually
donate to the cause. So arewe donating money per cartwheel or are you
going to break it any a dollar, five dollars. One of my good
friends gave five hundred dollars. Imean, so just it is, there's

(07:04):
no you know, it doesn't matter. Any amount is fine. You know.
The goal is that supporting the conceptthat when you believe in something to
do to do whatever you can tohelp support it, and also when you
want to have a goal, togo for it and to believe in yourself.
And you know, of course,you know how I am. You

(07:24):
know, I believe that, youknow, with God's help, I can
do anything right. And so that'smy thing that I you know, I
believe strongly that if you it's justabout faith. You know, I never
was worried about my treatment. Iwas never scared. I always knew that
I was going to be fine.It was just a matter of the journey.
You know, how was I goingto approach the journey, and how

(07:44):
was I going to withstand the journey, and how was I going to look
after the journey? And all ofthat was about, you know, you
know, just believing and also havingthe determination to keep working hard at it.
And it's so funny because you know, you do a lot of resting
whenever you've had cancer, so Istill have to slug a lot of the
times. And it's so funny thatmy kids are laughing because they go,

(08:05):
yes, when all those other seventyyear olds are doing cart wheels and you're
sitting on the couch, you mustfeel really bad, And I go yes.
So I'm highly motivated by my kids. You know, my students are
an incredible source of support and loveand you know, inspiration for me.
Are we going to be able towatch you do it? Are you?
Is this going to be on YouTube? How? And I know you're at
your dance studio now, are youdoing it at your dance studio. It'll

(08:28):
be at the school, and we'regoing to have it on both my Dances
School Facebook page, the Exchange Clubfacebook page, and my personal Facebook page.
We are going to put on YouTube. We're not going to put the
whole hundred and said, we're gonnaput the last twenty because we figure nobody
I'm not that adorable, and soI'm not sure we're going to want to
watch you do all one hundred ofthem. And we're gonna do a little

(08:50):
interviewing and talking about it, andwe're and we have all these little kids
with pomp pomps. I have myown cheerleaders. So I've got my little
three and four and five year olds. They are going to be my leaders.
How exciting that? How long?How how long can you do a
plank? I can do a plankuntil somebody tells me to stop. I
mean I don't. I've never I'venever I just stopped when I've never failed.
I've never had to come out becauseI was too tired. Cookie,

(09:13):
but I do both the ones inthe foot You've inspired me. Because there's
a lady named Dana. I can'tpronounce her last name, but she is
the Guinness Book of World Record plankholder four hours and nineteen minutes. Okay,
don't think I can do that?Okay, Okay, that's just somebody
would ask. But here's the deal, Dan, there's a reason why I

(09:33):
couldn't do that. I would getbored and I you know, I would
want to talk to somebody. Andyou know, I'm you know, I'm
a mover, I'm a dancer.So being steal for four hours is the
problem. The plank is not theproblem. It's being steal from four hours,
which is I was amazing, saidin long before fatigue set in.

(09:54):
But that's impressive, it is,though, right, But being seventy doing
a one hundred and seven cartwheels that'salso impressive. But obviously it's possible.
Yes, Well, and that's thething, and well, I'm just you
know, age is just a number. I feel thirty. I mean,
I don't feel seventy. I don'twhen I think about, you know,
so used to having long, darkhair, and just you know, once

(10:16):
the cancer happened and then I cameback with white hair and not very much
of it. Just looking in themirror, I don't know who that woman
is, you know, I mean, I don't you know, still having
little what it is to call itthe disconnect between what I'm like on the
inside with my brain sees and whatI see in the mirror when I look
at myself, and I think that'sthe thing too. Acceptance, you know,
that's the only thing about accepting theseason that you're in, right,

(10:39):
and this is my new season,and accepting the reality of you know,
this is the new cookie and whatis this cookie going to achieve? As
opposed to thinking, well, Iused to go do because I mean,
I mean, there's a lot ofthings I can't kick near as high as
I used to kick, and butI still can't hired the most seventy year
olds, So I need to goIt's about accepting things the way they are

(11:00):
and being grateful. Great gratitude isis such excellent wisdom. Now, how
can people find you again and donate? And just watch? Where? Where
are some great places? The ExchangeClub there in sugar Land, the Exchange
Cup of sugar Land. You canlook out there. You can go on
Facebook and go to their site.You can go to Cookie Joe's stance in

(11:20):
School on Facebook. Where can goto Cookie Joe? And because mine is
public, and they'll be able tojust go it. I'll be live.
But what's going to happen is afterthe event, we're going to continue rowing
because we will not end the fundraisertil December. So in other words,
will you'll be able to continue.We will continue to invite people to participate
to the end of the year becausethis is the thing that there's a great

(11:41):
need for educating parents about child preventingchild abuse. With our economy and with
the way things are, stress andeconomic stress and just all kinds of things.
Their child abuse is a big problemin this nation. And usually it's
wounded and scared parents, you know, it's usually comes from parents that you

(12:07):
are, people that are you know, hurt people, hurt people, And
so there's a big exchange cup asa big support of preventing child abuse,
not just punishing it, but preventingit. And then we also want to
make sure that we're helping children,the homeless, children with special needs,
children that are underserved in any capacity, and we teach classes for the children
with autism and down syndrome, andwe go to places to make sure that

(12:31):
anyone that wants to dance gets todance. So all of these things,
of course, take money, andwe want to make sure that we can
continue to do our ministries so thatwe can, you know, serve as
many kids as we can. Now, when is this big event, the
cartwheel challenge? On my birthday?November seventeenth, We're going to start in
and this guy here at my schooland I just you know, just for
the record, it takes me oneminute and twenty seconds to do twenty card

(12:54):
wills. That's up. That's good. Twenty minutes. I mean it's gonna
it won't take that long. SoI know people are going, how long
do I have just sit and watchthis? Not that long? And we'll
make it entertaining. We'll have alittle the cutest little treat is year or
all? And what about birthday cake? Does someone like you who's gonna do
one hundred and seven cartwheels on theirseventieth birthday? Do you stay away from

(13:16):
birthday cake? Or do you indulge? I never indulge. I don't eat
sugar, or we eat no.I'm the most important person. Nobody ever
invites me over to dinner because it'slike, it's better to tell you things
I can eat as opposed things thatI can't or won't. What are you
gonna happen a birthday dinner? Usushi? Always sushi? Now sushi's cooking.
That's good. I love to becauseI know there's nobody's pretty. It's

(13:39):
no no sweets. I eat fruit, but I don't. Fruit is my
go to a little glass of wine? No, no, Well, we
wish you a happy birthday regardless.Now that's how time. I'm seventy and
I can do cart wheels. Iknow, I know, I know.
That's exactly right. You got togive and take a little bit. Well,
we issue the best seventieth birthday.We know that you're always helping out

(14:03):
the community, Cookie Joe and allthat you do for the Star of Hope
as well, that's how I metCookie Joe and and it's going to be
so exciting good for you. Nowwhen I'm seventy, which isn't that far
away, I'm going to try todo the day in a four hour planks.
I'll keep you posted. I'm upto three minutes now, Okay,
Well there you go. That's great. That's a start. It's a start.

(14:24):
Hey, it always starts with itstarts with one cart Well, that's
right, exactly right. Well,you are just a delight. You look
fantastic and I can't wait to seeyou and those little cheerleaders just giving it
heck on your birthday, your seventiethbirthday. Before I let you go,
what do you have planned for yourseventy fifth? We're going to do one
hundred time steps in your pet dancing. Yeah yeah, so time steps are

(14:48):
I think a Broadway kind of thingto do. So I think one hundred
time steps because that can stay upright, but it's cardio. We're into a
hundred cart wills. I mean onehundred timesteps time steps. Okay, we'll
be watching Cookie Joe. Keep inspiring, keep doing all the good that you
do for our community. Thank youmake it more beautiful and more exciting,
and we appreciate you. Thank youvery much. You have a bliss day.