Wally Fryer..Small in stature, but always seemed to cover more floor space than his contempories, in comps . Tied for 1st in the "British " 1947, and won outright 1948/9 ( and was THAT the golden age of Pros!! ).

".....it's weird though. It's a smile and talk to you but I'm better than you kind of thing. What else can I say, it's a british sport.""
That's a very offensive comment. Of course it's easy when you're hiding behind an anonymous name.

I think the postings in response to this original question represent a good example of the differing opinions regarding the attitude and manners of those involved in ballroom dancing. It is a sport, for sure, and a big part of the discipline of this sport is good posture, respect for your partners and members of the other sex, and painting a picture of yourself and your partner that illustrates top-notch etiquette and behavior. Some can pull it off, others cannot. And some of it isn't even essential to being a good dancer as far as technique and footwork. Having said all of that, there is no doubt in my mind that dancing should make one feel better about oneself, and this leads to a more polite, well-mannered and disciplined aura that other people should take notice of. It is great to hear that there is a ballroom team at the high school. As the documentary film "Mad Hot Ballroom" shows us, some kids use ballroom dancing as a way to get interested in far more things than dancing. It brings them out of a shell they otherwise had no way to get out of.

Well, Shamrock, all I can say is that some of the replies to your question don't exactly fit the description of ballroom dancers as well-mannered! :)

Seriously, though, ballroom dance is partner dancing. So it requires that the dancer always be aware of, responsive to, and considerate of the person they are dancing with. It's integral to the dance--you can't dance well without it. You literally have to cooperate on every step you take. So it encourages those qualitites.

It is also a pretty structured form of dance, especially as it is taught at the beginning levels. So there are specific patterns to learn and practice. That may lend itself to a more disciplined approach to learning and practicing than less structured dance forms.

Because it involves men and women dancing together (or boys and girls), it may encourage being on better behavior in class and while dancing. IME, both boys and girls tend to be on better behavior around one another than they are when with groups of only their own sex. Many other dance forms tend (unfortunately) to involve mostly girls.

Historically, many of the dances come from an era when they were part of a social context that emphasized etiquette and polite behavior. Some of that still exists in the ballroom dance world. For example, it's not unusual for the man to offer his arm to escort the lady on and off the dance floor. That's not something you see very often anymore outside a ballroom dance.

I was in my 40s when I started dancing, so I think my values and manners were pretty much set by then. So in my case, it may be that they influenced me to choose ballroom dance, rather than the other way around. That may be somewhat true of the high school dancers, too, but I'd guess that it does play a part in helping teenagers develop their value systems.

As another poster mentioned, the film "Mad Hot Ballroom" would be interesting for you to watch, as it clearly shows the effect that ballroom has on the kids involved.

Good luck in your research!

Thank you for your comments! I found them very interesting and I agree full with them! I've completed my rough draft and I just wanted to ask if it would be all right with you if I used your comments in my paper. Thank you again for your insight!

Sure, you can use them. Just be sure to footnote them. (I'm a former English teacher, so I'm a stickler for that!)

I know a dance teacher who teaches in Preston, Id. I think that she would know a lot about disciline. Her name is Libby Nelson and if you want a reference, let me know!