Elderly couple who set dance floor on fire for 40 years absolutely nail the boogie-woogie style

As entertainment evolves with new art forms, older trends often fade into the background. Yet, it's heartening to see some people passionately preserving vintage traditions. In the 1940s, boogie-woogie—a European twist on swing dance—was the heart of social gatherings. While it remains popular, it’s not widely recognized as a competitive art form. However, German couple Dietmar and Nellia Ehrentraut (@nelliaswing) are keeping the boogie-woogie spirit alive, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to dance.

For more than four decades, the Ehrentrauts have danced their hearts out to Rock n' Roll, showcasing their swing moves in numerous competitions, as stated on their website. Nellia often shared some of their memories from various dance tournaments and parties on Instagram where the adorable couple can be seen grooving zealously. Their passion for swing dance never lost its flame as they still continue to rock the stage with the same exuberance. But little did they expect that they would become an internet sensation at this age as a video of the couple dancing in a tournament held at Landshut, Bavaria, in 2017 went viral online. In the video, the couple is seen shaking a leg to the song "Down the Road Apiece" by Johan Blohm and The Refreshments. The audience cheers for the duo with great enthusiasm as Dietmar and Nellia show off their moves with the zeal of two 20-year-olds.

Currently living in the serene town of Durmersheim in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Austrian-born Dietmar and his wife are actively conducting dance workshops and classes. Speaking about their cheerful dance journey, Nellia told Mirror: "We simply enjoyed the music and wanted to see old friends again. This dance has become an integral part of our lives. We discovered the 1950s music scene and found like-minded people at concerts and festivals." As they have reached millions of hearts through the 2017 video, Dietmar mentioned, "We are quite flabbergasted what the video has set in motion. I had not even seen anyone filming us." The duo's video currently has over 17 million views on YouTube with more than 3k comments. 

Just like the audience at the competition, people on the internet were excited to watch the couple defying their age and giving a wholesome performance. "Not even 10 seconds into the dance and I started to tear up! They’re so cute and they really know how to dance! This makes me so nostalgic for a time when I was never alive. How beautiful!" commented @misanthrope. "I'm a lot younger than these guys and the last time I busted some moves like that I was falling down the stairs drunk. I so hope you are still dancing. You're fantastic," joked @davebarrow8277. "Beautiful! Just what I needed to cheer me up. Marvelous performance. What energy and stamina to still be doing this! I used to dance like them in my younger years in my 50s, but now it’s harder just to walk. I sure wish I could dance like that now in my 70s, but everything is falling apart. I wish them all of God’s blessings of good health and happiness together and help us all to appreciate life, no matter what age we live in. HIGH 5!" wrote @AngelCatBaby.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 13, 2023. It has since been updated.