Ballroom Dancing More Popular Than Ever!

By Cathy Jones

Something has happened in the world of television that has made a significant impact upon the world of ballroom dancing. ABC's Dancing With The Stars has taken ratings by storm as a record-breaking number of television viewers have begun tuning in each week, fascinated to watch their favorite celebrities learning to ballroom dance. The show has been ranked the number one prime time telecast, with more than twenty million viewers. This exposure to mass audiences has brought tremendous new awareness of ballroom and Latin dancing to regular people, and inspired many to put down their remote controls and put on their dancing shoes. Some people who might never have otherwise given any thought to ballroom dancing are heading for their local dance studio and signing up for ballroom dance lessons because they were inspired by their favorite celebrity dance competitors on Dancing With The Stars. At present, more than one million people enroll in ballroom dance lessons each year.

Of course, a television show can't claim sole responsibility for the popularity of ballroom dancing. Social dancing has been a timelessly popular form of entertainment, and ballroom dancing is a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to grow, with the number of amateur ballroom dancers increasing by 25% each year since the 80's. Dance trends have been an enormous part of our culture, and since the advent of motion pictures and television we have loved being entertained by television dance shows and dance theme movies. We love the music and magic of dancing, as much as we envy the skillful dips and twirls executed by talented dancers who sashay into our living rooms on a certain night every week. Since the 1950's the American public has been entranced by ballroom dancing on shows like the Arthur Murray Party, and The Lawrence Welk Show. We discoed with John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, we cheered for Kevin Bacon fighting for the right to dance in Footloose and fell in love with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze as they mamboed in Dirty Dancing. We love to watch dancing as much as we love to dance, sometimes even more.

However, in recent times the number of people who are joining ballroom dance classes has increased exponentially. This may be due in part to the wide appeal of television shows like Dancing With The Stars that have caught the attention of people of all different backgrounds, from professionals to blue-collar workers, married couples, widows, divorced and single, students to retirees. The reality television show's popularity has helped erase the old stigma of ballroom dancing as boring or stuffy with fresh new music that appeals to the general public. We get to hear spectacular musical hits ranging from sizzling hot rock-n-roll to hot new pop tunes, and see glamorously costumed couples perform amazing dances like swing, foxtrot, mambo, cha cha, rhumba, tango, quick-step and the dreamily romantic Viennese waltz.

The mass appeal of Dancing With The Stars has two major components to its success. First is the enormous popularity of reality television. The difference from other reality shows that attracts viewers lies somewhat in the respite from slime and outrageous behavior found in other bug-eating, bungee-jumping, and house-mate drama reality shows. We love Dancing's glamorous costumes and beautiful music and are caught up in the a difficult but rewarding competition. We enjoy rooting for our favorites and even gain a little bit of guilty pleasure from the occasional public humiliation.

The second difference that has us all entranced with watching the show is our fascination with celebrities. The creators of Dancing With The Stars really homed in on America's real guilty pleasure: our love affair with famous people. Nothing gets our attention quicker than the name of a well-known movie star, singer, or athlete, and getting a glimpse into their personal lives can become an obsession for many people. The stars who are asked to participate on Dancing With The Stars may not all be A-list celebrities, but they are well-liked and somewhat approachable, coming from a nice mix of ages and backgrounds. The dancers have included favorites such as soap actress, Kelly Monaco (General Hospital), reality show participants Kate Gosselin (Kate Plus 8), and Trista Sutter(TheBachelorette), Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Evander Hollyfield, and grown-up child pop-star Joey McIntyre (New Kids on the Block). Viewers enjoy watching their favorite celebrities sweat and struggle through intensive ballroom dance training coached by their professional partners, who themselves are acclaimed choreographers and ballroom dance champions. As the season progresses, we come to know these famous stars as people a lot like ourselves, who have to work hard to succeed, who make mistakes, and who are thrilled when reaching their goals. Viewers can really identify with their struggle and cheer for their success, and feel strong loyalty towards their favorites. This is how regular people become inspired to look for a good local studio and sign up for ballroom dance lessons.