I have not yet started dancing but I want to very badly. First I need to find a dance instructor. I have three questions.
First: Is there a time where it can be too late to start dancing? I am 13 and anybody I have heard of that have started dancing, have danced pretty much all their lives. I only know of very few that have started at my age. I have never had a lesson before but I am a very quick learner. I have always been into dance related sports. I have been a cheerleader, I have taken gymnastics, ballet, and I am currently ona drill team. But is 13 too late to start Ballroom dancing?
Second: Is there a certain weight you need to be to be a dancer? I would not consider myself overweight by any means. But I am no stick. All dancers I see are fairly thin. I weigh 139. Is that too heavy for a Ballroom Dancer?
Third: Is there a specific height for a dancer? I am fairly short. Only 5'3". Is that too short for a Ballroom Dancer?

Please let me know anything on these topics. It would be a lot of help. Thanks!!!!!!
~ Kali

[This message was edited by Administrator on 07-15-02 at 12:54 PM.]

1. 13 years old is not too late to start. My mother started to ballroom dancing when she retired at age of 65. She is 75 now and loving every moment. Happy mother's day (tomorrow)!!!

2. Since you have asked, I think you know the answer.

3. 5'3" with heels on would be close to 5'6". At this height, it is perfect for boys 5'8" to 5'10". Many boys are in this height range.

I started dancing at 16 and now I am a 40 year old Professional Dance teacher with my own studio. Lots of my students started in their late teens. Some of my students are over weight. Some have had trouble finding partners that are tall enough, etc etc! All of my dancers enjoy what they do, and are most usually very successful in competitions. Go for it!

1. According to my teacher, between the ages of 12-14 is the best time to begin dancing. The reasons:
a) Little children have certain bodily defficiencies or immaturities which make certain movements impossible or very uncomfortable, such as the latin hip motion, because their hips are underdeveloped and they do the motion like sticks.
b) Little kids tend to only appreciate things like learning how to ride a bicycle or play baseball, not ballroom dancing.
c) Little kids have a really short attention span and it's really annoying to try and teach them.

2. No, you don't have to be a certain weight. Besides if you go into dancing you'll probably shed twenty pounds anyways.

3. And no, you don't really have to be a certain height, especially if you are a girl. Most guys are not 6'1" (like me... heh..), so it's not like you'll be grossly mismatched with a partner.

da.

Dave L. wrote:



Thank you Dave for your kind words.

In the real world, I am surrounded by a small tribe of 5-2 and 5-3 females.:).

My wife, 5-2, ballroom dancer
my mother 5-3, ballroom dancer
my sister 5-3, ballroom dancer
my son's 12 years old partner 5-3,
my 32 years old daughter 5-3, non dancer:(
my 27 years old daughter 5-2, non dancer:(
my dance students, two 13 years old girls, both 5-3
One of the girl's mom, 5-3, ballroom dancer.

Now the lady who I hired to clean my vacant rental house today is a real stick, at 5-3 and 95 lbs. But she sure can really tango with the vacumm throught the house, foxtrot with the floor mop, cha-cha with that toilet brush, mambo with the windows, swing with all the trash bags. Talk about her energy. What a stick of "dy-no-mite"


[This message was edited by Keh Gough on 07-17-02 at 11:42 PM.]

Keh Kaogh,

I enjoy your comments and replies. I know you are decent and helpful. Do not let other's harsh words discourage your service to this forum.

Dave

Dancing and competing at the top level is no
different than other sports such as golf or
tennis. It requires the necessary intrinsic talent, the desire, the dedication, and a strong
work ethic, proper instruction, and the necessary resources - time & money - to pursue your goals. But, since competitive dancing is a showcase
activity, the quality of which is really not
deterministic but more a matter of judgement,
a certain degree of couple attractiveness is also
necessary. And, the earlier you start the better,
(Tiger Woods started golf at 2) but, certainly
13 is not too old.

Am I the only person slightly peturbed about the answer Keh Gough gives to the second question? The girl who originally asked is only 13 - and by implying she is so obviously overweight she could easily be swayed towards a serious eating disorder.
Far better the response by merengue_man, who states, quite accurately, that she needn't worry as any excess weight will easily be shed through dancing.
Shame on you, Keh Gough!!!! >

I think Keh's wording was a little harsh, but the truth is that the young teenage girls I see involved in DanceSport are very trim and slender. Even more so, the judges expect the dancers to be lean and if you aren't, some of the judges will not mark you forward to the next round. It's a harsh truth, and one that I don't agree with, but that's the way it goes. DanceSport is very looks-oriented.

I think that daddysbug should focus on learning to dance and finding a partner. The activity of learning to dance will help her tone her body and shed any excess weight. She should *not* attempt any kind of calorie-reducing diet at this time.

However, she also should give up eating any foods that will sap her mental and physical energy: for example, sodas and other sweets and white flour products. This isn't about dieting, this is about feeding the body with the best fuels so as to provide the optimum mental and physical performance. If she gets into competitive dancing she should think of herself as an athelete, and act accordingly. It might take some experimentation to find out what foods work best for her own activity levels and body chemistry, but the books "Diet for Dancers" and "Eat to Win" are both good starting places. Both books stress that you need to make sure you get enough calories and nutrients to enable yourself to perform to your optimum potential.

Laura

First: I started dancing when I was 18, i'm 19 now... i'm an instructor and I'm starting competition next year. So no, 13 is the perfect age to get started but make sure that you go into it with light goals. If you push yourself too hard, you might burn out and ruin what could be a fabulous hobby or path.
Second: No, 139 is not too heavy to dance. That's pretty average I'd think plus you're gonna lose weight once you start dancing anyway so it's not a big deal.
Third: 5'3? Naw, that's just fine. Once you get dance shoes you'll end up being 5'5 or 5'6 anyway so you'll be fine. Just find a tall partner! *smile*

~LB

PS: Good luck in your dancing! I hope that you find that you love it as much as everyone else here does!

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