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+ View Older Messages

Re: We need more black pros.
Posted by anymouse
9/22/2010  10:08:00 AM
"The truth is that the professional teaching corps in ballroom is virtually all white.

When we get some more African-Americans among the ranks of the pros then we'll have more black participation in formal dancing."

The skilled professional teaching corps is overwhelmingly staffed by the alumni of youth programs, to a limited degree those in the US but mostly those in european countries.

As a practical matter, the demographics of your professionals are going to reflect the demographics of your youth recruits (domestic and global) of the preceding two decades.

Ballroom has a huge amount of cultural-self selection in terms of rates of pursued interest. There is very little push-marketing of effective ballroom training, so those who manage to do more than just spend a lot of money are mostly those who had enough interest to seek it out on their own.
Re: We need more black pros.
Posted by jofjonesboro
9/22/2010  11:34:00 AM
The skilled professional teaching corps is overwhelmingly staffed by the alumni of youth programs, . . .

Do you mean to say that the vast majority of teaching professionals began dancing before adulthood? While I do not doubt that many insrtuctors and coaches have done so, I don't believe that their numbers would constitute an "overwhelming" majority - or a majority at all - of professionals working in the US today.

jj
Re: We need more black pros.
Posted by anymouse
10/6/2010  7:31:00 AM
"Do you mean to say that the vast majority of teaching professionals began dancing before adulthood? While I do not doubt that many insrtuctors and coaches have done so, I don't believe that their numbers would constitute an "overwhelming" majority - or a majority at all - of professionals working in the US today."

The overwhelming majority of the skilled professionals were trained from childhood, yes. There's no widespread habit of training adults to comparable levels of capability or practical expertise, so on the job trainees are generally used only for lessons that are "more about business than about dancing". The rare exceptions are driven individuals who have gone and sought their own training at personal expense.

Wearing the hat of a teacher too early in a dancer's development tends to limit their opportunity for growth. To earn a living, they need to be in a small market that isn't saturated with more capable teachers. But to build a practical foundation in their own dancing they need to be in the opposite - an environment packed with more skilled peers and well supplied with inexpensive instruction at all levels of advancement.
Re: We need more black pros.
Posted by belleofyourball
9/22/2010  2:40:00 PM
Yes...because its so much more fun to schlep miserable old black ladies around the floor as opposed to miserable old white ladies.
Re: We need more black pros.
Posted by marcia24
9/30/2010  12:42:00 PM
There are Several Ballroom Schools,Clubs and Studios in the Caribbean that are predominantly black who particpate in Blackpool and do very well; especially from BARBADOS.
Re: Black Ballroom Dancers
Posted by lafemmefidele
10/18/2013  9:35:00 PM
check out blackinballroomdance yahoo group
Re: Black Ballroom Dancers
Posted by Kay
10/18/2013  10:46:00 PM
I am Afro-American and I am also natural ( hair) I am currently a ballroom dance instructor. I also compete. You should be able to teach and dance anywhere as long as you have the skills and knowledge. Some places will hire you regardless of your experience as long as you are willing to go through training. I have not recieved any racism either. It's very welcoming and a fun career to get into. Good luck!
Re: Black Ballroom Dancers
Posted by terence2
10/23/2013  11:34:00 PM


Couldnt agree more !

One of the many things that drew me towards Salsa,after all my many yrs as a Prof. in BR , and to re-think my "take", on latin dance in general, was the diversity, and, not only in music, but by the participants .

It is culturally,IMO, lite yrs ahead of B/room .
Re: Black Ballroom Dancers
Posted by Retta
2/4/2014  3:09:00 AM
zHi Kay,
I just moved to the Charlotte area and would like to learn how to swing dance. Can you me names and numbers
Re: Black Ballroom Dancers
Posted by Shauntai Arrington
1/8/2018  10:24:00 AM
I have been dancing for the better part of 17 years( moved around alot). Anywho, I have almost always been the only Blk/AFR-AM. I don't mind it but it would bee nice to see more on the dancefloor. I have been back in Northeast Fl for two years and still trying to find black ballroom dancers to simply network with and I haven't found any. So if you know any in the Northeast, specifically CLay, Duval, and surrounding counties let me know:)
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