Post 50 Reinvention: Rediscovering A Passion For Dance At 53

Back in 2010, ABC News offered me a voluntary buyout. I had worked for 29 years as a video editor and technical director based in Washington, D.C. But I had always wanted to make a film. At 57, facing my own midlife reinvention, I decide to make that the focus of my work. I created a new web video series, "The Nextnik," a dramedy that depicts the life of a corporate executive named Larry Zimmerman, who is laid off with a year's severance, and searches for his second act.

I'm also fascinated by the real-life second acts of post 50s, who I feature in this blog. Larry Owensel wanted to be a dancer since he was a child and won a "Twist" contest. A scout from The Julliard School visited Owensel's high school, spotted the talented teen and offered him a full scholarship. Things didn't play out exactly as Owensel planned. But at 53, he's back on the dance floor.

WATCH: