"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.

Yes...because its so much more fun to schlep miserable old black ladies around the floor as opposed to miserable old white ladies.

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.

check out blackinballroomdance yahoo group

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!

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 .

zHi Kay,
I just moved to the Charlotte area and would like to learn how to swing dance. Can you me names and numbers

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:)