Click, click, clack.

The feet in the black dancing shoes move nimbly across the floor.

It's hard to believe that these feet are already 81 years old.

But the man who owns them leaves no doubt: Askar Schumagulov from Kyrgyzstan has already experienced a lot.

However, it was only late that he was able to turn his passion – tap dancing – into a career.

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In 2009, at the age of 68, Schumagulov enrolled in a dance school.

Then the school administration allows him to give courses himself.

In the beginning there was a lot of excitement, the pensioner told the television station Nastojaschee Vremja in the capital Bishkek a few days ago.

"I saw new exercises in my sleep, then I woke up and at 3 am I was quietly practicing the new steps on my carpet." He is currently teaching twelve students the art of tap dancing.

Until a few months ago he also took part in international competitions, but then his long-time dance partner died.

Musician economist

The first time that Schumagulov tap-dance was a good sixty years ago.

At that time he served in the Soviet Navy, on a submarine in the Baltic Sea.

But his life first took him to university after the army.

He studied economics and even has a PhD.

"Actually, that's not my thing.

I should have become a musician,” he says in retrospect.

Because music is his passion, he says.

Dombra, a plucked string instrument common in Central Asia, has been played by Schumagulov since childhood.

He has also been learning the balalaika for half a year.

“I put on a YouTube video, everything is shown there.

Then I bought a balalaika and just learned using the internet.” He recently started playing the accordion.

Like a tree

In addition to music, he has a second hobby: photography.

Every year he travels to his favorite places and photographs them.

He shows the television journalist a picture of a tree.

He is standing on a slope, part of the earth has already slipped, the roots of the tree are partially hanging in the air.

But the tree is standing and hasn't fallen over yet.

"The tree is like me, it is strong and vigorous, it grows no matter what," says Schumagulov.

He used to be a professional volleyball player and won international tournaments with his team.

A few years ago he was even awarded the Kyrgyz Manas Order, comparable to the Federal Cross of Merit.

"Time flies," says Schumagulov.

Therefore, in old age, he hurries to catch up on what he did not manage to do before.

He tells his children and grandchildren that everyone should become what they want.

“Starost nje Radost” is a Russian proverb.

"Old age is no joy." Anyone who listens to and watches Schumagulov gets the feeling that life is just beginning for him at the age of 81.

And the internet helps him with that.