Dancing with the doctors

A lot of people wish they could step out of work and into another life, but for one East Tennessee couple that's reality. Ann and Philip Carter are both professionals, Phil is a lawyer and physician and Ann is also a doctor, but at night the couple steps out of the office and into their dancing shoes. with the popularity of dancing with the stars.

"It's kind of hard to dance and not smile", says Ann Carter.

Philip and Ann took their first dance lesson in 1999, and they were hooked.

"Our oldest son actually got us into the ballroom dancing, he had taken a few lessons unbeknownst to us and if he brought a guest to their studios guest night then he could get a free lesson and so we went to be his guest so he could get a free lesson," recalls Philip.

"It was quite different from golf where I just held him back and so it was a level playing field for both of us. We were both starting it together and learning something new together," says Ann.

Within a year of their first lesson the Carters decided to take their dancing to the next level.

"Rather than just becoming good social dancers we were looking to become competitive dancers as well," says Phil.

The couple went to Atlanta where they discovered a whole new world of dance.

"We met people in a lot of professions doing this and other teachers too and that really inspired us to do more and more dancing and then we decided maybe to find a place to practice.", says Ann.

That's how the Carters came up with the idea of starting their own dance studio.

The Carters teamed up with another dancing couple and with a crew of more than 20 volunteers they built a floating floor to create their own ballroom dance studio.

Now, five years later, Dance Dimensions hosts a variety of teachers and students, but for the Carters it's mainly a place to practice what they love.

"I think it's helped us communicate well over the years, our Friday nights used to be go home go out to get something to eat go to a movie and be passively entertained. Now our Fridays and many times our Saturdays and our Sundays too are spent doing things that are active that we enjoy and do with other people and it's something where you really have to interact with folks.

The carters are also continuing to compete in the seniors 50 and over category.