I'm a 23 year old guy who has heard it said from folks my senior that learning ballroom dancing is a great thing to have under your belt. It looks fun and interesting, but I don't know how to approach it. I could call an instructor and get all the advice I need, yes, but I want some opinions without conflict of interest. What age group generally is STARTING ballroom dancing? I would likely not be brining my own partner (although that would make it so much more comfortable) so is that a problem? Should I wait until I can find someone to learn with me? What should I look for in an instructor? What should I be aware of? Should I ignore the idea and avoid it altogether? I just know so little about it so this is the fist time I've poked around looking for info. Any help would be great.

i would like to be your partner..rumba@mailbox.gr

> I'm a 23 year old guy who has heard it said from folks my senior that
> learning ballroom dancing is a great thing to have under your belt.

I certainly agree!

> It looks fun and interesting, but I don't know how to approach it.

That depends on your goals, are you interested in competative dancing? Or are you interested in being able to dance socially with anyone who comes along? How you answer those questions will determine how you proceed.

> I could call an instructor and get all the advice I need, yes, but I
> want some opinions without conflict of interest.

You've come to the right place!

> What age group generally is STARTING ballroom dancing?

A few months ago I had two 11 year olds in class, and I just taught a couple who will be dancing at their 60th wedding anniversary. When do people start dancing? When they finally decide to start doing it!

> I would likely not be bringing my own partner (although that would make
> it so much more comfortable) so is that a problem?

Most social dance teachers encourage students to trade partners, so it shouldn't be a problem. However, getting a friend or two to go to classes with you would make it more fun, and you would have people outside of class to practice with!

> Should I wait until I can find someone to learn with me?

No! Start now!

> What should I look for in an instructor?

If you can find a nationally certified instructor, that is a good place to start. Otherwise, find out which teachers in your local dance community students like and respect.

> What should I be aware of?

Try not to take lessons from people who have only taken a few lessons of their own. It is best to take classes from someone who has been dancing/teaching for a while. That having been said, sometimes a new less-experienced dance teacher might be better for you than someone who has been teaching (perhaps poorly) for years.

> Should I ignore the idea and avoid it altogether?

Absolutely not! Guys who can dance are always popular. How many weddings do you think you might attend in the next 10 years? Wouldn't you like to be the one guy there who knows how to dance?

> I just know so little about it so this is the fist time I've poked around looking for info. Any help would be great.

Look around your local area. Check to see if there is a United States Amatuer Ballroom Dancers Association in your area. (www.usabda.org) Do any of the local colleges have dance programs?

Good luck!

And on top of all this once you start taking lessons and/or classes -practice, practice, practice. There is no substitute for this.

"Dancing is a contact sport; football is a hitting sport" - Vince Lombardi

Go to the clubs and see if any girls bring shoes with them. Then you really know who to ask about where to take lessons and who might have a partner for you. Lessons are OK but the main thing is to learn to dance to the music and, sadly, that is not the key focus of most ballroom dance stuff. Plus, at the clubs you can pick up some cool moves you'll never learn in a dance studio. On the flip side, in the dance studio you'll learn why those dancers look more professional and better than club dancers.

Also, don't waste your money on syllabus comp.s as these are not the proper track and are bypassed by dancers with any training. E.g. in comp.s on the west coast all the syllabus dances are not offered though they are required to advance: the non-syllabus, or Novice, stuff is the way to go. I think the USABDA comp.s are OK and maybe an OK place to do syllabus but don't spend 2.5 years doing bronze moves like we did or you'll get tired of it and quit.

Also, try to go to the ICDF. Maybe get some folks from the nearby college - even some dancers of other styles. You'll see lots of young people your age there and that is an excellent "crash course". I think it is in Daytona in Jan - Intercontinental DanceSport Festival. If you don;t have some partners by then you can put up your name on the list on the first day and find one.
have fun, most of all. And dance with different partners to really learn how to interact with another dancer.
TimJowers

Since you are a guy, you will always be in demand regardless of your age. There are many more women ballroom dancing than men. So learning without a partner will not be problem for you. You find that people start dancing at all ages from pre-teen to senior citizens so you can't really generallize. Although, anyone starting as preteens or teens are probably more likely to be into competitve dancing. Most Universities and Colleges have ballroom dance clubs which may be a good way for you to start since you will be assured of meeting people close to your age. The other main way is to sign up for classes at a dance studio. Shop around for a studio that will best suit your interests in terms of the type of dancing you want to learn and best environment for you as a person.

One more thing--

Try approaching dance just as you would any new sport. (Did you know competitive dancers reach the same heart rate as mid-distance runners???)

If you wanted to learn to play golf you wouldn't just walk into the first range you find and pick up the part-time pro who just learned how to play golf last year. You also wouldn't pick a pro based on her likelihood to be wearing a short skirt. And, you certainly would not expect to have to buy all of your private lessons in packages with Friday night Golf parties, and group golf coaching lessons. Finally, you'd laugh if they said "Hey, you've had one lesson, you did great! Just go ahead and pay for the next year in advance right now (we can put it on a credit card ya know)and you will be all set "

Yeah right. Buyer beware. I'm sounding jaded. I don't mean to. Dancesport will increase your athletic ability, help you deal with stress and get you plenty of attention from the opposite sex...and that's just in the first week However, bad training can be worse than no training, escpecially for a man. And, many a wonderful student has quit dancing after a bad experience with an all sales oriented school. Just be thorough and you will be sure to find a good reputable studio.

Good luck! M

Just a note here about syllabus events in competitions held on the West Coast of the USA. Syllabus events are offered at Collegiate events, which are usually open to adult non-student dancers too. These events are not always called "Bronze, Silver, Gold" but instead may have names like "Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced." Check the rules for each comp to be sure.

If you are in Northern California, the USABDA NorCal chapter offers syllabus events at all the competitions they host (that's four events per year).

If you are attending NDCA (Pro, Pro/Am, and Amateur hotel-based comps), many of them have an event called "Closed Syllabus" or sometimes "Pre-Novice." These events are for syllabus dancers, all levels Bronze through Gold together.

I agree with Tim that it gets boring doing syllabus all the time, the truth is that you don't have to earn any points to advance. There is no requirement anywhere that says you have to earn a minimum number of points in order to move up to the next level. Rather, the rules are such so that if you happen to earn a certain number of points at your current level, then you are forced up into the next level. So, if you're doing Bronze and you're getting bored but you don't have any points, go ahead and move on up. You can even start in Novice if you want. Heck, you can start in Championship, but if you aren't up to it you'll get flattened by the competition

It's a shame Tim misunderstood the rules and left himself in Bronze for two years and got so bored that he quit. The USABDA rule book (and the NDCA rulebook too, for that matter) can be a little confusing at times. If anyone ever has any rule questions please ask and I will do my best to help you to understand them -- I am Secretary of my local USABDA chapter and an active amateur and Pro/Am competitor so I've become quite familiar with the letter and spirit of the rules.

Hey Anon-

Anyone who sees me post here regularly won't be surprised by my advice here!

Yes you should dance now, no you don't have to have a partner. The ages which I find the most beginners to belong to are 5-13, 18-28, and 40+. I think this mostly reflects the fact that adults tend to become busy with careers and children between 28 and 40, so they don't take on many new sports/hobbies.

What should you be aware of? Now that's more difficult to answer. Be aware that dancing is a business like any other. Comparison shop! Don't allow any studio to exert sales pressure on you to buy large packages. You will form an emotional bond (platonic but still a bond) with your instructor. Some studios capitalize on that bond to raid your wallet. Meanwhile these studios are usually the ones with very poor instruction.

Look for an instructor with at least 3 years of teaching experience. Look for a studio that teaches both International and American style (if they say "What do mean American style or International style?" then RUN). I would be very wary of any school requiring you to buy your lessons in packages or using contracts. Look for an instructor/studio that takes students to real competitions (not just showcases). And finally...don't forget, comparison shop!!!

Depending on your area you might be able to find instructors on this web pages list!

Good luck, M

ChampionDancesportKC@comcast.net