Derek Field Breaks Out Dancing Shoes for Special Event

You’ll see a familiar face on an unfamiliar stage when Master Derek Field from Field Martial Arts Academy takes part in the “Dancing With The Norwood Stars” fundraiser on Friday April 18. The sixth degree black belt is trading in his gui for dancing shoes as he benefits the Norwood Circle of Hope, an organization dedicated to helping people who are facing sudden, catastrophic issues and might have difficulty paying bills.
 
“I guess it technically started about a year ago as I was scrolling Facebook and saw a post about the Dancing with the Norwood Stars event,” said Derek as we caught up in his Norwood studio. “I just thought to myself, ‘Hey, that would be cool.’ So fast-forward a couple of months later – one of my kickboxing instructors asked me to cover one of her classes because she wanted to get dinner with a friend and she just casually threw in that her friend was involved with the “Dancing with the Norwood Stars” event, and I said, ‘I will happily cover your class as long as you tell your friend that I want to do it next time.’
 
Derek’s friend did exactly that, and a few months laster he received a text message inquiring if he’d like to be a part of the 2025 show.
 
“I said, heck yeah! And here we are,” said Derek with a laugh.
 
Learning and performing a ballroom dance routine is no joke, and at no point has Derek taken his preparation lightly. The event will be held at the Four Points Sheraton on Route 1 and all eyes will be on the dance floor. He knows he has to be ready.
 
“I want to keep some of what we’re doing a surprise, but I’m going to be doing a couple different styles,” he said. “I’m doing an east and a west coast swing. My instructor, Caitlin, works right next door at Fred Astaire Dance Studio, and it’s incredible to see these dancers – they have 10, 12, 13 different routines, all unique. The art of dancing kind of reminds me of martial arts, you know? We’re teaching different forms, so it’s different, but in some ways it’s the same.”
 
The routine lasts just under two minutes, and Derek has one more teasing tidbit.
 
“We’ll be rocking out to some Queen, I’ll tell you that!”
 
To learn more about how you can support Derek and the “Dancing With The Norwood Stars” event, visit his fundraising page and listen to Episode 138 of the Westwood Living Podcast, available on Apple, Amazon, SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.