Why is it that there is very few, if none, same sex ballroom dancing and competitions?

Actually , there is... there was a feature article done in the IDTA mag. in last issue.. I think it was in the States ( where else ! )

and, Im not sure if its still happening, but most dance schools here had girl/girl comps ( mainly thru teens )..

Atlanta has a very large population of gays but one sees very little same-sex dancing here, at least in the studios. I've seen only a couple of woman-woman couples and no man-man couples.

I'm not sure how I feel about same-sex couples in ballroom. I have no issues with gays (I work with several) and support same-sex marriage and all other rights for them.

A dance couple is, by definition, a man and a woman (this is not marriage, folks; this is more important). Dance is not sex and I'm not sure that it's legitimate to expect that a dance relationshp must reflect an intimate one.

But what folks do in their free time is really none of my business and if a couple of ladies want to boogie together then they should do so. In reality, we see women dancing together all of the time. Men, not so much.

My boss is gay - and a bit overweight. It wouldn't hurt him to hit the boards a few times a week.

Several gay dance clubs have opened and closed in Atlanta over the past twenty years. Those which feature C&W seem to have done OK. However, I have seen little evidence of widespread gay interest in Ballroom or Latin.

jj

Terence: I didn't notice the article. Which issue/page? I'd be interested to read it, and must have missed it previously.

We were talking only the other day at the studio about whether there might be a small niche market for classes & social dancing for same-sex couples (not necessarily gay/lesbian), and I have been mulling it over in my mind. Argentine Tango could work really well: particularly as the roles of 'leader' and 'follower' need not be gender-based, and a same sex couple could easily (easily?) learn both roles and dance them interchangeably, something that social dancers can't really do (but which teachers take for granted).

I'm on the urban fringe of a major UK city, and it might just be a viable idea. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

Telemark,
You should explore it further. You might have to be the one who invites the gays to the studio. I know a few gay men who know I dance, and they have the same human, non-sex related fears I had once: For one, they have the fear of looking uncoordinated, etc. and two, many of them think they need a partner. I have tried to convince a few to come to our studio because I would dance with them (I'm straight.) and many of the women would switch roles if necessary. I think that if you could get a few to come, more would follow or perhaps assist in creating a venue where they would feel more at ease.

Traditionally Argentine Tango is also danced between men, and not gay men either. In Argentina and here I have seen several of the men dance together. It becomes a strong powerful dance, a lot of aggression and movement. I mean you aren't going to see that in the typical homophobic macho man, too afraid to touch. It is such a treat to see two guys dance Tango.

As far as ballroom, I've seen male-male partnerships. I think they are fine except at the highest levels of competition. I would say there might be physical requirements of the male lead and the female follow that are gender specific.