Announcing Our Valentine's Day Story Contest!

Dancing is Not Just for the “Stars”

Tell Us Your Story!

Ballroom Dancers are the most fascinating people, and they have the greatest stories!

Even people just starting out with ballroom are a different sort of people. Ballroom Dancers have made a decision to become the “star” of their own lives, instead of just watching other people on TV.

My husband and I got started with ballroom a couple of years ago – we had both taken classes in college and decided to find a teacher for a little brush-up so that we wouldn’t embarrass ourselves with the traditional waltz at our wedding. And the most amazing thing happened. We had such a great time that we continued with ballroom lessons, in spite of our insanely busy lives. Dance classes are like a date where we put aside our individual stressful endeavors, focus on one another and really work together on something we both enjoy.

And we met amazing people of all backgrounds and ages that we really “clicked” with. We instantly connected with other couples when we were visiting other cities. We spent hours talking politics over coffee or tea with people we just met in class. We have been invited to some amazing parties. We’ve even been invited to Europe and South America. All starting from a single ballroom class in a small town in Utah.

Now we’re collecting stories of ballroom dancers - professionals, competitors, teachers, novices - everyone is welcome. Whether you're world-class competitors or have just enjoyed watching ballroom, we'd love to hear your story!

Email us your story and we’ll include it on our web site. You’ll join an amazing group of people who share a passion for ballroom!

Click here for complete guidelines.

An unconventional (but great!) choice for a waltz

I love ballroom dancing. But sometimes I find that the music is a little, well, OLD.

So, when listening to my old Journey CDs in my car (way too loud, of course) I realized that Open Arms is a waltz. Amazing.

It's kind of a fast waltz, but it's nice stable, easy music. You'll find that you need to take slightly smaller steps and you'll have to really hustle in turns or fancy moves, but that makes a for an interesting change of pace. (Literally!)

Sean Connery and Kim Basinger do the Tango

Watched lots of James Bond movies over the holiday weekend - (My husband loves James Bond) I noticed one ballroom scene in Never Say Never Again that I'd not noticed before - it was not technically a very good execution of ballroom dance, but it was dramatic.

James Bond (Sean Connery) was challenged to a video game where he pitted his skills against the Maximillion Largo, a Spectre Agent. (of course.) Bond won an obscene amount of money, but then told Largo that he would accept, in lieu of the money, "one dance with Domino."

Domin0 (Kim Basinger) and Bond then dance a tango, during which Bond informs Domino that her boyfriend as a bad dude and has in fact killed her brother. Of course they have to keep dancing so that they don't alert Largo to the content of their conversation.

Although Bond movies are usually more about explosions, car chases and cool toys, I thought it was interesting that the suave, debonair spy also knows how to use a tango in a dramatic moment.

Ballroom Beginners Blog Debut, and Merry Christmas!

It's become a tradition for John and I to watch Irving Berlin's White Christmas every year on a snowy winter night while eating Christmas cookies and drinking cocoa. We've seen it a dozen times and never get tired of it.

There's a lot of great dancing in it! Rosemary Clooney and Danny Kaye are absolutely amazing. Danny Kaye is such a slapstick comedian that it is absolutely astonishing when goes from Bing Crosby's skinny, goofy, awkward sidekick to being the graceful master of the dance floor. Rosemary Clooney is absolutely amazing on her own or as Kaye's partner.

Only one scene is true ballroom - the amazing scene with Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney at the Florida Club when they first meet and and discover that there is some magic between the two couples that leads them off to adventures in Vermont . . .

Watching this movie has become a great tradition for us.

Merry Christmas from Ballroom Beginners!