Too old to learn dancing or compete?

[MidoriUma]

Hi, so I'm in my late 20's and have never danced before, but after moving to a new city (Toronto, Canada) it's something I'm very keen on trying, especially since my old sport of horseback rising isn't going to be very available to me.

I know there's some dancers older than me, but I also read that most dancers start at about age 5 or so, and thus I'm worried I may have missed the bus. If I were to make this my primary recreational pursuit, do I have a realistic chance of being able to find a partner and compete someday?

I've found two dance studios in town who include ballroom and other dancesport classes, but these seem to be mostly introductory ones, with one or maybe two intermediate classes a week. I suppose I'll go that route and hopefully meet other people who are interested in competing, but are there any secret tips for finding a decent school?

Thank you so much for any information; I'm glad this board exists ^_^

 

[chachachacat]

Go for it! You are still young! As an amateur, you can start at any age. To be a professional world champion, sure, it helps to start early. You can compete as an amateur, or pro-am at any age.

 

[Steve Pastor]

there's some dancers older than me

There are LOTS of us around here!
And some of dance just for the shear enjoyment of dancing, and as a social outlet.

 

[Signature]

If I were to make this my primary recreational pursuit, do I have a realistic chance of being able to find a partner and compete someday?

Read the biography at this link:
EDIT -- I can't post links. Google the following words to get his bio: time 2 dance michael stephens

This is a man who started dancing around the age of 35 or 40. Not only has he won a significant number of awards, he's also professional who teaches for a living.

If you're just wanting to compete at the amateur level, I know lots of people who started taking dance lessons in their 40s and 50s who compete (and sometimes win).

are there any secret tips for finding a decent school?

Attend a competition and find out where the (well-trained) locals take their classes.

Conveniently, there appears to be a competition in Toronto next week:
March 21-23rd, 2014
14th Annual Crystal Leaf International DanceSport Championships
Location: The Fairmont, Royal York Hotel, Toronto
Featuring: WDSF Pan America World Open, other supporting WDSF events, plus Professional, Amateur, and Pro-Am supporting events
Contact: Oleg Yedlin, 416-665-1387

I can't give you any additional advice. I'm not a ballroom dancer, so I don't know any of the top pros in those styles.

 

[cornutt]

I started at 40. I don't claim to be a world-class dancer, but I do OK.

 

[raindance]

Definitely go to the competition if you can. Watch, talk to dancers, and ask some of the local dancers where they take lessons and what advice they would give you on getting started. Don't take everything at face value, since you won't know anyone well enough to know what to make of their perspective. But take it all in, I bet it gives you a bunch of leads on where to start locally.

 

[tanya_the_dancer]

I started learning in my late 20s. Did my first competition at 31, pro-am bronze smooth. I am now in my early 40s, and compete pro-am open smooth and standard.

 

[FancyFeet]

There are some really good studios and coaches for more advanced instruction in Toronto. PM if you'd like some suggestions.

And I echo the rest of the comments. Totally not too late.

 

[opendoor]

..If I were to make this my primary recreational pursuit, do I have a realistic chance of.. compete someday?

Hi Midori, welcome to DF.
Only want to mention that there are aspects of dancing beyond competing: body work, traveling, improvising, choreographing, teaching, pastime, ...

 

[tancos]

I'd like to share a story tangentially related to being too old to dance. I'm currently in Budapest (I teach folk dancing) and last weekend was the dance house festival (10,000 people in the sports arena). On Saturday night I was at one of the after parties and the fiddlers were playing a dance from Kalotaszeg (a region of Transylvania) at around 1am. We were packed like sardines and it was like a sauna in there (you wound up covered with sweat and it wasn't all yours).

Then an elderly couple (70+) from Kalotaszeg ambled onto the dance floor. Everybody formed a protective circle around them and watched them do THEIR dance. The band maintained a moderate tempo (these dances normally speed up). They weren't flashy, but every move was perfect. The woman could spin effortlessly and their musicality was also perfect. They only lasted 6 or 8 minutes (these dances are normally 30 to 60 minutes long), but at the end the applause and cheering were deafening. It was great!

 

[LillaS]

Course you can! Go for it. There is a ton of ageism in dancing but that does not mean you have to believe the conditioning. I'm starting professional training next year - finally! - at 40. Having started and stopped before and done a ton of other things. It's an exciting and challenging journey of inquiry, self-confidence, self-exploration and I am loving (mostly) every minute of it.

 

[Alumina]

Oleg Yedlin has his own dance studio
He is a world adjudicator and has hosted the Crystal Leaf Championships for over a decade. Probably worth checking out his studio.

I got started pretty late myself. But like others said, don't let that discourage you!




hyperlink removed

 

[Dufus]

I got started pretty late myself.

What age do you mean by "pretty late?"

 

[fascination]

I started at 39...with enough time, and money, decent proficiency is attainable

 

[Deepanshu]

It's never too late to start dancing