You’re probably looking for ballroom dance fun. But maybe something else. So here:
(Please note that this blog is older than most of my children, so some info may be out of date.)
Starting Out in the Ballroom
- Learn How to Dance – literally a starting point on where and how to begin ballrooming (which no one calls it but me, btw)
- When You’re Broke, But Want to Learn to Dance Better – possibly the next step
- Dictionary of Dance – humorous, yet informative definitions of our jargon
- Ballroom Flow – a #crappygraph that explains what all the ballroom categories are
- American Is Not International – in which I rant about the above chart and the differences between styles
- Why I Hate Dancing With The Stars – in case it’s undermining your self-esteem
- This Will Make You a Better Ballroom Dancer – not #clickbait or anything [side eye], but some great exercises you should be doing to improve
- Timing: It’s What for Dinner – what makes dancing not walking
- All I Need – what makes a dancer a Dancer
- Social vs. Competitive Dancing – how they’re mostly the same
- Stop Trying to Grow Up So Fast – the progression of dancing
- If You’re Not a Beginner – climbing the dance ladder and getting to Bronze
- Silver Standard – the long road after Bronze
- Gold Digger – you might get there someday!
- Open(er) Choreography? – why it’s not always the right idea
Etiquette While You’re in the Ballroom
- Group Class : Switching Partners 101 – the rubrics for most group classes and why they work
- Dancing “Down” in Group Class – how to be the most advanced dancer in class and stay classy
- Taking the Lead – switching roles as a lady follower to a leader in a group class
- Why You’re Bad at Dancing – try to avoid these attributes
Getting Better in the Ballroom
- To Improve Your Dancing – a treatise on shoes
- Mirror, Mirror on the EVERYWHERE – how to use the mirrors to your advantage
- Practice Makes Perfect… Or At Least Better – a beginner’s guide to practicing
- When Practice Goes Bad – how NOT to practice
- The Myth of Practicing More – more ways NOT to practice
Competitions in the Ballroom
- Play the Game – do these things at a competition to blend in
- How to Look Like a Pro – even if you’re not… and maybe if you are already
- Unpaid Programming : Dance Version – use these things to make your competition prep easier
- Dance Products I Hate – don’t use these things
- What Not to Wear – but don’t wear these things
- Things You Can Control at a Ballroom Dance Competition – self-explanatory
- Dancing Downer – good and bad reasons people are dancing multiple levels
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks – the beautiful pyramid of dance
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Two
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Three
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Four
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Five
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Six
- Politics in Dancing – when politics in dancing is affecting your scores
Jobs in the Ballroom
- So You Want to Be a Pro : The Myths – TRUTH
- So You Want to Be a Pro : The Pros – MORE TRUTH
- So You Want to Be a Pro : The Cons – SO MUCH TRUTH
Inspiration
- It’s Called Practice for a Reason – in other words, it’s not called “perfect”
Rants About the Ballroom
- For Better of For Worse – quality vs. quantity and why Open can suck
- Between Bronze and Open – why Open can suck and STOP IT
Crappy Graphs
- Ballroom Flow – all the ballroom categories and their respective dances, sort of
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks – the beautiful pyramid of dance
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Two
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Three
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Four
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Five
- A Little Explanation of Judges’ Marks : Part Six