This kind of thing can happen in any group of people. Marriages do break down, people do find new partners, wives (and husbands) who've been freed from unhappy marriages do sometimes look great afterward.

Frankly, what bothers me is not what these couples are doing, but the attitudes of people like the previous posters. Frankly, it's none of your business. In the first case, here are three people, apparently trying to handle a difficult situation civilly and without disrupting their lives too much. If you really cared about them, you'd be supportive, not snarky. In the second case, please spare me your sympathy for the wife. If you were really sympathetic, you wouldn't talk behind their back and make jokes about it.

In reality, people do find the sexual and marital behavior of their acquaintances entertaining and gossip is fun. But at least admit that's what you're doing and spare everyone your fake moralizing.

I did not try to moralize anything. It was just so weird because all this drama unfolded right in front of our eyes.

Right, you regarded it as entertainment. That's my point.

Get over it Ellen. Talk and gossip go with the territory, especially with us women. What's different about ballroom dancing is that it is supposed to be so civilized. Where I grew up no one would dare to flirt or attempt to take someones dance partner. We had plenty of cat fights (women) and dog fights (men). When attending a dance you can see the drama develop by watching body language and expressions. Especially with mate or partnership breakups that choose to keep their drama going by all parties attending the same dances or studio events. This is a recipe for drama and gossip.

There should be some respect in ballroom dancing with student-teacher relationships. This is true in colleges, offices, high schools, and etc. Ballroom dancing studios are behind the curve in this area, maybe not enough law suits yet. Or maybe there are lots of independent unregulated teachers out there.

In our area it's considered normal for changing partners,teachers and students getting together and so on. The dance world just has more emotion, high drama, and general lack of respect than other professions. Adults trying to be teenagers again. Sure some teachers are very professional and some are not, like any other field. There are lots of masquerading teachers too, sort of like the personal trainer profession.

A good teacher of any kind is worth their weight in gold and should be repected and not get themselves entangled in too much drama at the office.

How about you being civilized and not airing other people's dirty laundry in a super-public forum? This thread could be read by anyone! Including people who might well recognize the setting you describe. Or the people involved themselves.

Fine, if you want to be a gossip. At least you admit it. But then don't throw stones at other people's conduct of their lives. Gossiping can be extremely hurful, is unattractive in any case, and does more to poison a ballroom dance scene than a couple breaking up does.

Who knows if any of these stories are even true? No names or places are mentioned and no specific gossip. Maybe it is just a discussion of the darker underside of the dance world. Probably every studio can come up with about 20 similiar stories. Why are the Spiral Stories with Dance Beat Magazine so popular or the recent Ballroom Dancing books out that tell it like it is?

Believe me, the dance community is small and gossip seems to be the trump card in a small dance town. There's quite a difference between "exploring the darker side of the dance world" and flat calling everyone's attention to what should be a private matter, and doing so with unsubstantiated rumors. If these two Lady Gossip Queens are so disgusted with the goings-on of others, then they should confront the people involved personally rather than attacking them anonymously in an open forum. But that's just me... an outsider to the goings-on so I don't speculate.

Dancelover, you have spoken your words with true eloquence and I believe everyone should remember why we all have gotten into the dance world in the first place. Thank you for your refreshing words.

So Anon2, according to you gossip is civilized? Your social compass is most definitely skewed if indeed you do think that. The civilized, grown-up thing to do would be to NOT gossip and spread rumors behind the persons' backs. That is the type of civility I see being a part of the ballroom dancing world. I do not go to dances to relive my high school days all over again. I go to mingle with a great group of friends that, despite our own faults, all have one thing in common; we all love to dance. We do not go to these dances to hear the "he said, she said" gossip; we go to dance and socialize with wonderfully amazing friends. Those who feel that gossip comes with the territory are only drama-driven and frankly, I don't want you a part of my dance world if you feel it simply "comes with the territory".

You also mention that maybe there are enough law suits in this arena. You know, you might be on to something here. Maybe there aren't enough law suits pending for those who feel the need to slander someone's professional and personal character and integrity based on unsubstantiated rumors.

With that said, I'll see you on the dance floor, but please... leave the high-school gossip outside.

I agree with you on this!

Well, I have to admit that this is quite shocking. I don't think there's anything wrong with pointing out how uncomfortable these types of situations are.
About the second story, I have to admit there are some girls out there (I'm not saying all, but some) who are smart and pretty that sort of have this feeling of power, and I think that girl may have been on one of those power trips. She may feel as if she can show the guy's wife that she's good enough to break their marriage. I'm not saying this is what the girl was thinking for sure, but it's just a hypothesis. I've seen these types before.