Ballroom dancing question... how early is too early?

Question:okay ive been dancing for about a half a year now... pretty good if i do say so myself. =) But i wanna know about people whove been dancing for a while.. Tell me about yourself... how long it took you to master the art. How long before your first competition? Anything that you think might be useful to me.
I wanna know how long before I can compete. and how i can find a partner maybe.
Just give me all the details besically!
=)

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: okay ive been dancing for about a half a year now... pretty good if i do say so myself. =) But i wanna know about people whove been dancing for a while.. Tell me about yourself... how long it took you to master the art. How long before your first competition? Anything that you think might be useful to me.
I wanna know how long before I can compete. and how i can find a partner maybe.
Just give me all the details besically!
=)

Hey there!!!

I started when I was 13
I did my first prelim (beginner level competition) when I was about 14/15

Some advice id give is dont just wait around hoping you'll find a dance partner, go out and search for one. Like look at newletters & bulletin boards from other studio's, look on the internet, talk to your teacher asking if they could help you look.
When I first started the biggest mistake I made was not making the effort to go out and look for a dance partner. If I did i wouldnt have started competing earlier & this would have been a lot easier and more fun.

Something I recommend doing is going on youtube and watching video's from the dancesport world champs etc and watch lots of them and watch them over & over again. If you watch them lots you will start to subconciously start learning things and watching world champions gives you a goal for you to aim for.

My current dance partner has 2 national titles so far, I have none. So we are working really hard at the moment and competing lots so we will be really strong for when its Nationals so I can get my first National title and he can get his third.

You'll love competing!!! Its so much fun!!!

Feel free to email me!

Best of luck!!!! xoxox

IF Ballroom is something you really like talk to your teacher and ask if there is someone that could be your partner and she would know if your ready or not! Good Luck!

I don't do ballroom dancing but I do just about everything else. I started ballet and tap at 3 and lyrical, jazz, hip hop, modern, and musical theatre soon followed. I entered by first competition (with my dance class--def not solo) at age 8. Competition is a wonderful experience. I tons of fun back stage with the "diva" ballerinas and makeup madness. You get to see professional dancers of all ages to look up to and learn from. And of course, because its a competition you win awards to make you feel proud of the accomplishments and hard work put into the dance. All the hours of sweating at the bar in a leotard finally pay off. General competion suggestions-- SMILE!! give the judges the biggest, cheesiest smile you possibly can, unlessthe dance style does not call for is and is something slow-paced like lyrical. Also PRACTICE YOUR DANCE UNTIL YOU CAN DO IT IN YOUR SLEEP!! You'll get nervous on stage, and practicing it until your head can't stand hearing that song one more time really prevents "memory lapses" in front of the judges. I'd say I had pretty much "mastered" most of the dance moves at aroung 10 although some steps took a few years longer. Now, (at 14) I'm just working on technique and stuff. As for finding a partner, I'd ask a coordinated boy at your school who you are okay friends with--you might be suprised at his enthusiasm. There are different levels of competition (beginner, intermediate, advanced, professional) so I'd say as soon as you have a great choreographed dance ready and mastered, you can compete! even if the dance qualifies as beginner of intermediate, competition is more about the overall experience.