"What no one has explained is why the ams seem to need to insult pro-ams. I rarely see the reverse".
Well, this comment is so far from the truth I can't even detail all the ways that I have seen pro-ams insult ams.
I will give one example. One that came from someone who I thought was a friend. My husband and I competed in the Championship Level of American Rhythm and we were pretty proud of our accomplishments. Having started out in bronze and progressed all the way to the top, together, with out the benefit of any real extensive pro/am dancing was, we felt a huge accomplishment. Later, I found out was always very jealous of my having a partner all the time while she had to travel to dance with her new pro partner. She would exbibit this with little quips like "now you know how I feel" or "now you know what it is like for me". This happened if my husband was traveling or for some reason was not dancing at that moment with me. It blew up after she did well in a pro/am comp with her new pro(who is the #3 most demanded pro in the country and also our coach). She proceeded to tell me, my partner and a friend of ours that am/am dancing was not as competitive and therefore not really a challenge and all the work we put into our dancing did not count for anything.
She also said "I am dancing with E.A. now and that makes me a great dancer because he won't dance with just anybody". Needless to say, her lack of respect ruined my regard for her. I was always supportive and sympathetic with her struggles to find a good pro/am partner, so her back stabbing of am/am dancing gave me a peek into her true personality and her sense of superiority. Which she now does not even attempt to cover up anymore.
So, take a good look around you. If the insults go one way, they also go the other. It is never a one way street.
