10 Things Every Ballroom Dancer Has Heard Before

Maggiore Fotografico

There are a few stereotypes surrounding Ballroom dancing. Some of them might be quite irritating especially when you hear it for the 100th time. Here you have a list of 10 things every Ballroom dancer has been told by non-dancers:

1. Oh you do Ballroom. I did that when I was 5 years old.

Cool story. What do you want me to say to that?

2. When are you gonna be on Strictly (DWTS)?

Hmmm, explaining to people that the TV show is not an ultimate goal for every dancer may be hard. The annoying part is seeing their sudden disappointment when you tell them you're not aiming to be on Strictly.

3. Can you do a split?

Even if I do, I wouldn't show it to you in a middle of a bar!

4. Show us some steps

It's a bit like asking someone speaking a different language to "say something"- a bit awkward. Do you expect me to put a rose in my mouth, grab a passer-by and do a Tango down the aisle?

5. Do you get excited when you do all these sexy moves with your partner?

Dancing is acting. When you spend so much time perfecting your moves with your partner, sweating and getting tired, the last thing on your mind is getting excited. So no, we're not getting married or even dating.

6. Are you really good? Have you won competitions?

Trying to explain to a non-dancer that placing 27th in Pro Division in Blackpool is a HUUUUGE achievement, but they really not have a clue and look disappointed. So even if you tell them you win Blackpool every year, that at least puts a smile on their face and they stop asking...

7. Ballroom has so many lifts, I saw it on TV

We don't lift partners in Ballroom unless it's a show dance. TV is for show.

8. You're always dancing and practicing, don't you get bored? You need to have a life

Thanks for your life advice. Dancing makes me happy and I'd much rather dance than go to a pub every Friday as a highlight of my week.