Not every great love story is written in words.

Some are written in footsteps, felt in music, and lived one dance at a time. For Bromhof-based Cyril and MaryAnne Shaw, the dance floor was where their story began and where a lifelong passion found its rhythm.

Married for 49 years, the couple continues to do what they love and what brought them together: Line dancing. They started Shaw All Stars 40 years ago and are still going strong.

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It was 1975 in Rhodesia when their paths crossed. Amid the music and movement, something special happened. It was love at first sight, and from that magical moment, Cyril and MaryAnne began a journey that would see them become not only life partners but also dancing partners.

Their connection grew, and before long, they were married, beginning a lifelong dance together through all the seasons of life. “We were both ballroom dancers,” said Cyril. “We met at a dancing studio. I was in the Rhodesian army, and she happened to be working there as well. We both loved dancing, so we were compatible. We had something in common.”

They were already seasoned dancers with gold, silver and bronze medals in ballroom dancing, as well as Latin American. MaryAnne recalled their first meeting at the dance studio, saying that Cyril didn’t have a partner, and she told him they could dance together. “I said to him, if you want to dance with me, you know, that’s fine,” she said with a big smile on her face. “The friendship began. We went every week. We joined the Amateur Dancers Association. We used to go to the socials, and we began dating at that stage.”

Cyril was in the army and was stationed all over. MaryAnne said when he was shipped out, they communicated, then slowly but surely fell in love. “I think it was about three and a half to four years after that, we got married.”

In 1981, life took them to South Africa, where new beginnings awaited. Here, their shared love for dance evolved into a passion for line dancing. What began as an expression of their own joy became an opportunity to share that joy with others, bringing people together through music, movement and friendship.

“When we came here, ballroom and Latin dance weren’t really much of a demand,” said Cyril, “but then, 40 years ago, we actually heard about a thing called line dancing, which was never heard of in South Africa.”

Cyril got hold of a company in Nashville, Tennessee, which sent them music, and their line dancing chapter began. As Shaw All Stars, they have performed at clubs, functions, and birthday parties, and have hosted year-end functions for companies seeking a country-and-western atmosphere. They teach at retirement villages and also hold classes at the Randpark Ridge Scout Hall. “Our whole motive, especially with the retirement village, was that there were a lot of demotivated people. We were more worried that a lot of them were in the retirement villages for one purpose: to die. We decided to make people happy, and we managed to get them excited about life,” said Cyril.

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Over the years, Cyril and MaryAnne have celebrated achievements, collected treasured memories and continued to nurture the bond that first brought them together. “I’m grateful to have met such a wonderful man in my life. Through every sort of trial, issue, and thing that we go through, we’ve got each other to count on,” said MaryAnne.

They describe their journey as love, passion, and acceptance. “I found a woman that loved what I loved and accepted me for who I was,” said Cyril. “That’s a big difference. We clicked, and that was it. This is the love of my life.”

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