Whenever people discover I teach ballroom dance, it's a real conversation starter. In fact, I can pretty much count on a Q & A session following closely behind. Clearly, ballroom dancing continues to hold a fascination for the general public - for dancers and non-dancers alike. Comments such as: "Oh! I watch that on TV!" and "I just love ballroom dancing!" are common. And of course, there's my personal favorite, "You must be SO talented! I could NEVER do that!"
That's because I know something that I'm more than eager to share: Yes, you CAN dance! And what's more, learning will very likely transform your lives.
"Oh, Come ON!" you scoff. Scoff away: I know what I know. Ballroom is the only social sport that offers music, art, and exercise all rolled into one. In addition to offering physical and mental challenges, it also encourages goal setting and provides a strong sense of personal achievement, serving to increase mental clarity, physical agility, and self-confidence. And the social rewards are huge! Learning ballroom opens doors. It provides the opportunity to meet new friends, (and impress old ones!), receive positive reinforcement, and reduce stress through engaging in a tremendously rewarding social activity. In short: ballroom helps bring out the best in you, by helping develop parts of yourself that may have languished - undeveloped, unnoticed, or unnurtured - for far too long. And the best part is, it's downright fun.
If I had a nickel for every woman who told me she just "had no talent" and spent her life as a wallflower at dances, or every man with "two left feet" who told me he "just couldn't dance," "just didn't want to", (or who begrudingingly accompanied his spouse or girlfriend), I'd be a rich girl by now. I simply adore it when they tell me that, and I simply love showing them how very wrong they are.
As a teacher, I've been fortunate enough to be an enthusiastic and joyful witness to it all; from the startling transformation of awkward middleschool boys into confident, poised young men, to the poignantly beautiful moment of watching a breathtakingly beautiful waltz by a dear lady, topping 96 years old; still clear, still joyful, and STILL DANCING. Young or old, singles or couples, they all had different reasons for learning. But think its safe to say that all of them - and I mean ALL of them - took away a great deal more from the experience than they bargained for. I can't tell you how much joy it gives me, to this day, to see them out doing what they just "couldn't do" before. Their joy is what motivates us - as teachers - to keep doing what we're doing. We're not lukewarm about it. We're passionate about it!
I'll say it again: ballroom dancing transforms people's lives. Whether you're 6 or 96, you can learn to ballroom dance. You can, and you should. And when you do, don't be too surprised if what started as a part-time hobby turns into a lifelong passion! It truly IS a gift that keeps on giving.
That's because I know something that I'm more than eager to share: Yes, you CAN dance! And what's more, learning will very likely transform your lives.
"Oh, Come ON!" you scoff. Scoff away: I know what I know. Ballroom is the only social sport that offers music, art, and exercise all rolled into one. In addition to offering physical and mental challenges, it also encourages goal setting and provides a strong sense of personal achievement, serving to increase mental clarity, physical agility, and self-confidence. And the social rewards are huge! Learning ballroom opens doors. It provides the opportunity to meet new friends, (and impress old ones!), receive positive reinforcement, and reduce stress through engaging in a tremendously rewarding social activity. In short: ballroom helps bring out the best in you, by helping develop parts of yourself that may have languished - undeveloped, unnoticed, or unnurtured - for far too long. And the best part is, it's downright fun.
If I had a nickel for every woman who told me she just "had no talent" and spent her life as a wallflower at dances, or every man with "two left feet" who told me he "just couldn't dance," "just didn't want to", (or who begrudingingly accompanied his spouse or girlfriend), I'd be a rich girl by now. I simply adore it when they tell me that, and I simply love showing them how very wrong they are.
As a teacher, I've been fortunate enough to be an enthusiastic and joyful witness to it all; from the startling transformation of awkward middleschool boys into confident, poised young men, to the poignantly beautiful moment of watching a breathtakingly beautiful waltz by a dear lady, topping 96 years old; still clear, still joyful, and STILL DANCING. Young or old, singles or couples, they all had different reasons for learning. But think its safe to say that all of them - and I mean ALL of them - took away a great deal more from the experience than they bargained for. I can't tell you how much joy it gives me, to this day, to see them out doing what they just "couldn't do" before. Their joy is what motivates us - as teachers - to keep doing what we're doing. We're not lukewarm about it. We're passionate about it!
I'll say it again: ballroom dancing transforms people's lives. Whether you're 6 or 96, you can learn to ballroom dance. You can, and you should. And when you do, don't be too surprised if what started as a part-time hobby turns into a lifelong passion! It truly IS a gift that keeps on giving.
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