Ballroom Dancing? Really?!

When I would hear the term "ballroom dancing" the picture that came to mind was of men and women, in formal attire, gliding across a dance floor.  Usually a Waltz, or maybe a Viennese Waltz being played by a large orchestra.  Those who were dancing had, at the very least, some grey around the temples.  Definitely not an activity of a younger crowd.  There was one exception; the prince in Cinderella, looking for his bride at the Royal Ball...that was a younger crowd.  But he was royalty, and that was "Once Upon A Time".  

What I have come to find out is that ballroom dancing is much more diverse than I'd realized, both in terms of the types of dances as well as the people who participate in the activity.

I started by taking group lessons through the local recreation center and, like I'm sure most dancing lessons do, started by learning a basic box step.  That led to learning the basic waltz, foxtrot and rumba.  Wait...rumba?!  OK...well, that makes sense.  The basic rumba is really just a basic box step, so I get it.  OK now cha-cha....wait, wait, wait, wait.  I'm taking BALLROOM dancing.  You know...like at a ball?  Cha-cha, Rumba, Merengue, and the Jitterbug were all dances that were taught during my first six week foray in to the ballroom dancing world.  And even though I felt like Peter Boyle dancing to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in Young Frankenstein, I had enough fun that I decided to try it again.  In time, lessons would include dances like the Country Two Step, East Coast Swing, and my personal favorite, the Polka.

Another surprise awaited me that first day of class.  Given that my view of ballroom dancing was a more, let's call it "mature" crowd, I was expecting the instructor to be around my own age.  So, when I walked in to the first day of class to see a young lady in her mid-20's waiting for her class to arrive, I was a bit taken aback. How much could this girl know about ballroom dancing?  What I found though, was that Emily, the owner and lead instructor of Ballroom Dance Experience of Ohio, was not only very knowledgeable about all aspects of ballroom dancing, but very passionate about sharing her knowledge and skills.

As I've continued to progress in my own ballroom dancing journey I have met people of all ages, from all walks of life.  High school kids in their teens who wanted to do more at their prom than just sway back and forth on the dance floor, to couples in their 80's who have the same energy and attitude of those younger kids.  I've met world champion dancers, amateur competitive dancers, and dancers who just want to have fun doing something they enjoy.  Among those dancers are students, nurses, police officers, business owners, and professors.  I've met people from the United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, and many other places around the world.  All who came to Columbus, OH in order to pursue or continue their own journeys.

An interest in learning something new is what got me started on this journey.  The things I've learned and the people I've met are what has kept me moving along this path.  So Ballroom Dancing?  Really?!  Absolutely!!

My First Dancesport Event and My 34th Running State

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to compete in my first Ballroom Dance Competition.  It was really more of a late find for me.  I was originally going to compete in Cincinnati in early January, but that had to be scrapped due to some unforeseen circumstances.  Having the first weekend off in February, I started looking for a competition and was fortunate to find the Denver Dancesport Jam.  A couple other advantages to this competition was that it fell on my birthday and it happened to be in a state where I had yet to run a race.

In early December I spoke to my instructor about making the Denver Dancesport Jam my first competition and she agreed to go.

For the next couple of months I did what I could to increase my lesson and practice time.  Two weeks before the competition my instructor also let me know that she had signed me up for a dance that I had very little experience with.  Right up until I was actually on the floor dancing, I was afraid I was going to mess up the steps.

At the end of the day, I competed in twelve dances and took first place in all twelve.  Now, to be fair, I was contested by one other person in the first six dances, and was uncontested in the other six (although I prefer to think of it as 'incomparable').  My main goal for this competition was simply to compete and not make a complete fool of myself on the floor.  Mission accomplished!  I was happy with how I did, although once I started watching the videos with a more critical eye, I did see so many mistakes that I should not have been making at this point.

As for the competition itself, it was very well organized and stayed right on time throughout.  My instructor had never been to this competition, so she was unsure what to expect. The dance floor was great, and the fact that it was the exact same size as the floor where I've been taking my lessons, made it a bit more comfortable.  Given how nervous I was through the weekend, anything that could make things even a bit more comfortable was a plus.

I can't thank Emily Mertens, my instructor, enough for preparing me for this event.  It was last May when I first expressed my interest in competing in ballroom dance, and I've been so impressed with the professionalism and passion she displays in her dancing and her teaching.  It was that passion that grew my interest and took me from taking a few group dancing lessons to taking private lessons, to wanting to be on the dance floor as much as possible.

The next day, before flying back to Ohio, Emily and I ran the Superbowl 5K together at Washington Park in Denver.  This made the 34th state in which I've run a race.  Having never run or trained at altitude, I knew that I was not going to try to run a half marathon in Denver, so having a 5K scheduled in Denver the day after the Dancesport Jam worked out well.  I was able to combine both my passions, running and dancing, in to a single weekend.  Although my time for the 5K was much slower than any 5K I've ever run, it was a fun event and also very well organized.

As I continue towards my goal of running a race in all 50 States, I also have another passion that will have me travelling the country.  I won't be trying to compete in a ballroom dance competition in all 50 States.  That's not even a possibility.  But my instructor is the person who first mentioned to me combining my two passions, so when I can combine a dance competition trip with a running trip, I'll make it happen.

I will also take the time for a bit of a plug also.  Emily Mertens owns Ballroom Dance Experience of Ohio.  She teaches group lessons in both Dublin and Upper Arlington, hosts social dance parties in partnership with Topline Ballroom and Event Center in Worthington and teaches private lessons around the Central Ohio area.  She is a wonderful instructor and has introduced me to a world that I would have never realized existed had it not been for taking that first step back in October of 2016.