March 26, 2007
With the popularity of Dancing with the Stars (Heather Mills McCartney notwithstanding), and the recent ballroom-dance-related films Take the Lead and Shall We Dance, I'm hoping that there will be a resurgence in the lost art of ballroom dancing.
I guess I shouldn't say "lost art" because it isn't lost; lots of people still do it–at weddings (when they aren't playing Old Time Rock-n-Roll, Love Shack, and Shout!), during classes, and sometimes at jazz clubs….but it's not as popular as it could be.
Am I the only one of a certain generation who thinks it would be a complete blast to have a club that specializes in music for ballroom dancing–the waltzes, the foxtrots, the tangoes, the Hustle, whatever!–instead of a smoky, electric-guitar, synthesizer-blasting one?
Maybe it's because I write historically-set novels, where it was a Big Deal to dance a waltz with a man, and you were actually in his arms, and he actually led you around the floor. And when I have the chance to foxtrot with my husband (who, for being a Music Man, is a terrible leader….but perhaps that's just because of who he married…), it's wonderful. I really enjoy it.
A few weeks ago, we happened to meet another couple a decade or so older than Music Man and I. We got to talking about this very thing, and the gentleman of the couple was describing how much he loved to dance, and how, if he walked into a jazz club, he could easily clear the floor if he asked a woman to dance.
To my delight, he proceeded to demonstrate just that–with me.
If you've never danced with a man who knows the moves, knows how to lead, knows the steps…you've really missed out.
It's divine.
The nice thing for a woman is that we don't have to really do anything–a good dancer will lead you through the steps and make you look like Ginger Rogers!
I would love to see a resurgence of this. What a way for us Generation Xers (and Boomers) to exercise! Ballroom dancing. Someone start a club, would you? In Ann Arbor?
Any takers? Anyone out there dance like this? Let's start a petition!
My (ahem) friend Colette Gale has just launched her new Web site. She cautions that it's for the over-18-crowd only, due to the subject matter. 
The second installment of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles takes Victoria to Venice and Rome.
My novel, 
