Alan Barnes was 58 years old when an unusual blow to his only healthy eye robbed him of his sight forever.
It happened during his son’s birthday in Nottinghamshire, England. Overnight, he went from dancing ceroc on weekends to not wanting to leave his house. He would go for walks at five in the morning, just so no one would see him trip over his white cane.
Everything changed when he was matched with Windsor, his guide dog, in 2024. With him, he returned to Grange Hall, the dance hall where he used to dance, and discovered that his balance was not gone: he now does spins and pirouettes better than before. This Sunday, 29 September, at 63 years old, he will dance for three hours straight alongside his classmates to raise funds and name a new guide puppy.