In days gone by ballroom dancing was suitable only for fey fops in sequins, orange tans and Brylcreemed-quaffs. Not any more. These days discerning gents are now signing up to dance classes in their droves. And here's three good reasons why you should join in the fun...
Why real men dance
These days real men are flocking to the dancefloor in droves...
- 1. You get to dress up
Whether you're trotting along to your local ballroom, dance studio or nightclub, you have to look the part. For ballroom dancing there are perhaps more opportunities for dapper dressing than any other style. The perfectly-tailored dinner jackets, the sharply-cut waistcoats, the white bow ties, dress trousers and patent shoes all conspire to make you look the well-dressed showman.
Dances such as the American Smooth and Viennese waltz offer the chance to button up in the finest suits and slickest tailoring. Tailcoats, wing collars and cummerbunds abound. With the samba, paso doble, tango and salsa, meanwhile, British blokes can unleash their inner Latin lovers by donning silky, frilly shirts and tight formal trousers. (And, if they're really daring, a Cuban heel thrown in for good measure.)
- 2. You get to meet gorgeous women
The modern day Fred Astaires cramming into local dance classes are also finding another joyous by-product to their hobby: meeting women. And not just meeting the fairer sex, but dancing cheek-to-cheek with them.
Better still, with the toning effect that endless swirling about a polished floor has, the women found at your local tango class have stamina, flexibility, and, above all, exceptional legs. - 3. You get to tone up
It's not just women who feel the fat-burning benefits of dance. Dancing can burn up 400 calories an hour and a study published in the journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that, after measuring the heart rates and blood lactate levels of ballroom dancers, the physical demand was found to be considerable - particularly with the Latin dances.
Indeed, Van Amstel, a professional dancer who developed and now runs his own ballroom classes specifically for keeping fit says: "We realised that ballroom works on a fitness level. It's the best way to make people lose weight because you're not really here for a fitness class, you're here to dance. So go out, enjoy it, have fun, burn some calories and everything will take care of itself."
