Hello
my name is Lorie, I'm 16 and I love to dance.I like the latin dances. The only things that stop me are that I don't have a partner, and I'm 5' and heavy set. also I really don't know how to dance the right way. you know like, I don't know how to do the Sumba or the salas. so what do I do to get started?

That's what pro/am is for. Lots of women don't have partners because there are generally more women than men doing ballroom. I'd say the vast majority of women and girls taking lessons in studios are just working with a professional instructor exclusively.

Have you checked out any studios? I think you'll find that taking lessons on your own without a regular partner is quite common.

As for height, you're the perfect height for a guy who's under 5'7, so don't let that stop you. As for being heavy set, dancing is great exercise, so you will probably lose weight.

Any other excuses keeping you from dancing? :o)

...and that's what money is for

Learning dancing needs a lot of factors, particularly plenty of money and good coach .
It is also quite good to solo with the music on the floor because of the steps are so beautiful and the dynamic movement across the floor draws me back to my young...;=)
Enjoy your life .

No, but i looking in to dance studios now:)

Whats pro/am

Pro/Am is where a student (the amateur) competes with his or her teacher (the professional). It's quite popular in the US as a way for women to compete who otherwise can't find partners. They'll take private lessons with their teacher (so it's just the student and teacher working together) and then when the student is ready they'll enter a Pro/Am competition. The Pro/Am couples compete against each other, not against Pro or regular Amateur couples.

In the Pro/Am syllabus divisions, only the student is judged, but in the Open-level division, the professional and amateur are judged together as a couple.

There are two forms of Pro/Am events: single-dance (or "freestyle") events and multi-dance events (which are usually scholarship events awarding a bit of money to the winning couples so the student can continue his or her training). In the single-dance events, male students are judged separately from female students, and furthermore the events are divided up by age and syllabus level. So, there's a place for anyone and everyone to participate. The multi-dance events are usually only divided by syllabus level, and male and female students compete against each other.

I competed in Pro/Am for about seven years, while also dancing in various regular Amateur partnerships. I don't do Pro/Am any more but still compete as an Amateur. So, if anyone has other questions about how things work or how they compare, ask and I'll be glad to answer!

After how long is it possible to compete in the pro/am category?
I am just starting but I cant wait to compete

You can compete as soon as you and your teacher think you are ready, and you can keep competing pretty much forever. Talk to your teacher about when you might be able to do your first competition.

Thanks Laura. Where are you located? you seem to know a lot about everything. I would love to ask you some questions. What dances should i learn? Do I have to learn some dances that I dont like so much, just to compete? or is it possible to compete in only a few selected dances that I like?