By The Girl with the Tree Tattoo

It’s 3 AM. The sun and the rest of the world won’t be up for hours. One small group is awake though. They’re rubbing the sleep out of their eyes (assuming they slept at all) as they stumble toward the closest source of caffeine. Soon they’ll be covered in rhinestones, coated in hairspray, and headed for the dancefloor. They are the newcomer and bronze pro-am dancers of ballroom.

We all have our favorite top ballroom and Latin couples. Those amazing professional dancers pack the ballroom with spectators and deliver amazing and memorable performances to loud applause. Today, I want to talk about the dancers who touched the dancefloor first that day.

I remember my first bronze-level competition four years ago. I was up at the crack of dawn for hair and makeup, except my makeup appointment ended up being an hour or more after my hair. So I had time to kill before the sun had even risen. I ended up going down to the ballroom in the hotel. It was locked, but a kind security woman got someone from housekeeping to open it for me. Those people don’t know it, but I’m forever grateful for the 20 or 30 minutes they gave me to spend alone in the ballroom. It was quiet except for the waltz I played on my phone as background while I reviewed my basic bronze steps. 

Dancers practice their steps before performing at the United States Amateur DanceSport Championship on March 8 in Provo, Utah. (George Frey-USA TODAY Sports)

For me, the chance to be in that room before it was filled with people, bright colors and loud music was a godsend. I had no idea what to expect out on the floor and that thought terrified me, but I knew reviewing my steps on that floor ahead of time would help. So that’s what I did. It was one of the first, if not the first, time that I took true ownership of my dancing. 

It’s not easy to dance and compete at the professional level, but it’s not easy to do so at the newcomer or bronze level either, especially if it’s your first time. You practice your steps and a little technique in the studio with your teacher. Maybe they also practice walking on and off the floor with you and taking your bow. They explain about the on-deck area and how you line up for your heats. They remind you to smile and have fun because it’s not just a competition—it’s a performance! This is your chance to shine!

It can feel a little anticlimactic though when you’ve danced your best, smiled your brightest smile, and as you turn out from your partner to take your bow, you look out to rows of empty chairs or one person looking down at their phone, Starbucks in hand. You hear scattered applause as other dancers are still filing into the ballroom and finding their seats. A great performer delivers the same for a full house or a practically empty one, but no one can deny that the energy you get from an engaged audience is electric. That’s how I’ve motivated myself to upgrade my performance quality this year; I think about the people in the audience who are watching and being inspired by my dancing. When I know they’re there, ready, and eager to receive, I want to give them everything I’ve got.

You don’t get that kind of energy during Heat 1 at 7 AM. You get a few claps as people are still waking up and other dancers are busy warming up for their turn. And yet, brave and beautiful beginners go out there anyway and give it their all. So I just wanted to give a shout-out to the newcomers. You’re a testament to the passion and dedication that all ballroom dancers have, but you do it while everyone else is still having their first cup of coffee. Here’s to you!