Hi everybody. I just want to post two questions for discussion. My first question is that I started doing martial arts when I was five years old and have been basically doing it my whole life. Then I discovered ballroom dancing and I found the transition quite easy because there were many similarities between the two. For example, certain types of stances, certain ways of walking and stepping with different parts of your foot, different ways of holding your body frame, head positioning as well as your focus. So I am wondering if there are any martial artists out there who are taking ballroom dancing and if so, what has been your experience? Next question - another observation I have made at various dance camps, competitions or dance schools is that I have seen a large number of male dancers or scientists, engineers, mathematicians, physicists and the like. What do you think the reason is for this?

Al

I teach at a locally owned ballroom studio and I have found the same to be true about "educated professionals" being drawn to dance. The only explanation I can come up with is that those type of people enjoy a life full of learning and it is something they have to really work at to feel good doing. Ballroom dance is the best of both worlds. Social dance is available for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time learning, but still have a new skill. And International requires the ability to absorb information and convert it into body action as well. It is an exacting sport that's a challenge to master.