what is the best age for starting to dance?

It all depends on the person and what what goals they want to reach. If you want to become a world class dancer, then the younger you start the better. If you want to become a national champion, then you still want to start pretty young. For instance, I want to be a national champion one day in smooth, and I started right after I turned thirteen. But if you just want to dance socially for fun, or compete locally, then I guess it doesn't really matter. Like I said it's all about what you want to accomplish and how quick you learn. Hope I helped and good luck.

The trend towards really young ballroom competitors is a recent thing, and not one that I'm sure is going to be permanent. There's a bit of a fascination with athletisicim at present, but it will probably fade in favor of more mature mastery once the community starts to realize how hollow it often is.

Interesting point you raise here, Anonymous, and I'd love to hear more of your opinions on it. You say that the trend towards really young ballroom competitors is recent (I agree with that, I've seen it really get going in the past 10 years), and not one that you are sure is going to be permanent. It's this last statement that I'm curious about: why do you think the trend toward younger competitors isn't going to be permanent?

One of my fears with competitive ballroom is that it will swing so far toward the youngsters that the adults and especially the over-35's will be completely marginalized. It's nice to hear someone say that they don't see the trend toward the younger set being permanent.

So...please expound! I'm curious about this! Thanks.

I am in agreement Laura because if the "younger" folks dont get involved then the "older" folks will become complacent and not progress. There simply must be a constant infusion of younger dancers or the sport wont proliferate. Owen

Owen, I wasn't arguing that the skewing of the sport toward the younger and younger competitor was a great thing -- I was arguing the opposite point that the skewing of the sport toward the younger and younger is NOT a good thing because at some point the older people will simply not want to be involved anymore. I think it would be a shame if ballroom goes the way of figure skating where a woman is considered too old and washed up in her early 20's.

Anonymous, are you actually seeing signs that the open category is evening out again in terms of distribution of ages? Or are you just hoping to see it?

I'm not seeing signs that the open category is evening out... yet.

What i am seeing though is that the intermediate categories are strongly dominated by people, mostly young but too old for the youth track, who are trained in a more mature school of thought, which takes advantage of their youth more for its enthusiam and free time than its athletic potential. I think this group is likely to have a far greater longetivity in the dance community than the olympic-athlete crowd, because they will be more able to continue making progress as they age.

A well rounded community of highly skilled dancers, even if a level down from the top can still create an influence on the top level, by keeping an alternative look in the eye of both public and judges - and by giving the judges something they don't alway have today: a viable alternative to mark whenever they get tired of juvenile antics.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's a beam of hope to me as an older person.

There is one big "if" though.

Ballroom will only re-achieve balance if the non-youth competitors manage to cultivate a personal, and ultimately collective, immunity to hype. Older competitors who waste time drooling over (or worse, attempting to immitate) the capabilities of young athletes will not be the ones who make progress on more sustainable dance skills.

Laura: I respect your opinion however, I dont agree. If the young dont get involved the sport will wither. If the older folks choose to butt out, they have that choice. Also, there is the age divisions in which they can compete. Owen