It’s been awhile since I’ve let my demons control the content! I have some fun news to share from this past weekend, but first I’m giving my demons a turn at the keyboard. Sometimes I feel better when I just let them run amuck. (Amuck, amuck, amuck!) Tired demons are happy demons, just like puppies.
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Yesterday’s lesson focused just on rhythm. Teacher wanted to finish going over the choreography for the rumba and cha cha routines and introduce the east coast swing. We didn’t end up getting to the swing, but we rarely get to the last things on Teacher’s list so no matter. Next time!
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I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this before: along with lessons with Teacher, I also take private lessons once a week with Teacher’s friend in exchange for working at a bunch of social dances he ran last year. He is all about social ballroom dancing, so we work on American rhythm dances like rumba, cha cha and east coast swing, plus salsa, samba and occasionally bolero, all with that social focus. There are no specific routines or discussion of technique, it’s all about following and musicality.
Quite different from my lessons with Teacher.
A great article about the importance of musicality and being able to just “feel” the music:
http://www.delta.dance/2016/01/the-most-important-quality-in-ballroom-dancing/
Updated October 3, 2026
When I was new to the world of competitive pro-am ballroom, I was overwhelmed by the numerous style, age and skill level categories, not to mention the different heats that you could enter at a competition within those categories. Here is a basic breakdown for anyone who is just getting started and feels like their head is spinning from trying to keep it all straight.
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