Where Have All the Ballroom Couples Gone?

Are we raising the next generation of Ballroom champions - or are we serving them fruits and vegetables when all they really want is cake and ice cream? In Part Two of my Ballroom series, I take a look at the kids, the music, and what we as an industry might need to do differently.

Part Two: Where Are Tomorrow's Ballroom Champions?

Dan's Blog | World DanceSport Network

In Part One, we examined Professional International Ballroom participation at six major competitions across the United States. And the numbers caught my attention!

Of 469 combined entries across the four Professional divisions, International Ballroom accounted for just 78, compared with 123 in Latin, 143 in American Smooth and 125 in American Rhythm.

Those figures alone don't prove Ballroom is declining. We'd need historical comparisons for that. But they certainly raise questions about where International Ballroom stands today. Especially this one:

If we're seeing fewer Ballroom couples on the professional competition floor, where are the dancers who will become our professionals of tomorrow?

It All Begins with the Kids!

Over the years, I've watched thousands of young dancers take their first competitive steps onto the ballroom floor. Some arrive looking like miniature world champions, complete with perfectly styled hair, polished shoes and expressions suggesting they're about to negotiate an international peace treaty. Others look as though they're just hoping to remember which foot goes first! And I love watching every one of them.

But something has caught my attention. At many competitions, our younger Latin divisions appear to attract considerably more competitors than Ballroom. Why?

Is it the music, the energy, the costumes or the opportunity for individual expression? Or are teachers and parents naturally encouraging children toward Latin because that's where the larger competitive fields seem to be? I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I think we need to start asking the questions.

Let's Be Honest... Fruits and Vegetables Aren't Cake and Ice Cream!

Before wondering why our younger dancers favor Latin, perhaps we should acknowledge something obvious. OF COURSE many kids are attracted to Latin!

Think about the music they hear every day - with friends, on social media, in the car and at parties. Much of today's popular music features rhythms and movement that feel familiar to young Latin and Rhythm dancers. They hear a popular song and recognize something resembling a Cha-Cha or Samba. And that's exciting!

Now, how often are those same kids listening to a beautiful three-quarter-time Waltz or recognizing a traditional Tango? Unless they're at Ballroom practice night, probably not very often! Sure, a fun Quickstep or swinging Foxtrot occasionally catches their attention. But for many youngsters, Latin music already feels familiar. Ballroom music is something they have to discover. Which brings me to an analogy.

Are Latin, Rhythm and perhaps American Smooth the cake and ice cream, while International Ballroom is the fruits and vegetables?

Before my Ballroom friends start throwing tomatoes at me—and yes, I know tomatoes are technically fruit—hear me out! As adults, we understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. They're good for us and help us grow. But try explaining that to a ten-year-old staring at a big piece of cake with a scoop of ice cream! The cake wins. Every time.

Unless we grown-ups step in. And that's where I believe we have a responsibility.

Are We Teaching Our Young Dancers What They Want—or What They Need?

Should studios, teachers, coaches and parents be more proactive about encouraging young dancers to learn International Ballroom alongside Latin, Rhythm and Smooth? I think so.

A young dancer may love the excitement of Latin without appreciating everything Ballroom training offers. Posture. Balance. Partnership. Moving together. Swing, sway, rise and fall. Maintaining connection while traveling across the floor. These aren't just Ballroom techniques. They're valuable skills that contribute to a dancer's overall development.

I'm certainly not suggesting every young Latin dancer should be forced to compete in Ballroom. That would be ridiculous! But should we encourage them to experience it before deciding it isn't for them? Absolutely!

How can a child appreciate something they've never had the opportunity to understand?

And are we sometimes allowing our youngest dancers to specialize too early? If a child shows natural talent for Latin, of course we should nurture it. But could concentrating on one style too soon mean missing opportunities to develop other skills?

I'm not suggesting everyone needs to dance Ten Dance. I'm suggesting we give young dancers a meaningful introduction to both Ballroom and Latin before they choose their competitive path. Then, at least, they're making an informed choice.

So... How Do We Make Ballroom Cool Again?

Maybe the answer isn't convincing kids that Ballroom is more important than Latin.

Maybe it's showing them how exciting Ballroom can be! Could studios introduce more creative music into youth Ballroom classes? Make Quickstep and Tango feel more energetic and accessible? What about team challenges, showcases or introductory competitions that make Ballroom fun rather than intimidating?

And let's not forget our professional champions! Young people need heroes in every sport. Why should DanceSport be different? Imagine a young Latin dancer watching a world-class Ballroom couple fly across the floor in a Quickstep or witnessing the power and drama of an extraordinary Tango. Would that inspire them to try Ballroom? I'd like to think so!

Competition organizers could help, too. Youth showcases, scholarships and participation incentives might encourage more children to explore Ballroom. Perhaps our DanceSport organizations, studios and coaches could work together more closely to develop Ballroom at the grassroots level.

If we want more Ballroom champions tomorrow, what are we prepared to do differently today?

It's easy to look at a small Professional Ballroom field and wonder where everybody went.

Perhaps we should also ask whether we're doing enough to introduce the next generation to Ballroom in the first place.

And Now, for My Fellow Statistics Nerds...

We've talked about kids, music, teachers, parents and even cake and ice cream.

But what about the numbers? Some of you LOVE statistics. You can spend hours comparing entries and studying championship results. Me? I'd rather have another slice of cake! But numbers can reveal things our eyes might miss.

Here are the reported participation figures from the 2026 International Dance Festival in England.

2026 International Dance Festival — Ballroom vs. Latin

Division	Ballroom	Latin
Juvenile	26	29
Junior	36	69
Under 19	57	89
Under 21	58	100
Adult Amateur Open	127	198
Professional Open	106	142

Source: BallroomRank, published results for the 2026 International Dance Festival. Figures represent reported competition entries.

At the Juvenile level, participation was relatively close: 26 Ballroom entries versus 29 Latin.

But look at Junior! Just 36 Ballroom entries compared with 69 in Latin. Nearly twice as many!

The gap continues through Under 19, Under 21 and Adult Amateur. Even at the Professional level, Latin attracted 142 entries compared with 106 in Ballroom.

Now, let's be careful. These figures don't prove that young Ballroom dancers abandon the style as they get older. We're comparing different age groups at one championship, not following the same dancers over time. But they do suggest that this participation imbalance isn't exclusively American. Something worth thinking about!

A Final Thought... Don't Forget Your Fruits and Vegetables!

Statistics tell us how many couples are dancing today. But teachers, coaches, parents, studios and organizers can influence how many will be dancing tomorrow. I don't believe every child needs to become a Ballroom champion, nor should we discourage them from pursuing the styles they love. But we should introduce them to everything our wonderful sport offers.

Let them discover the elegance of Waltz, the power of Tango, the freedom of Foxtrot and the joy of Quickstep. Let them experience it, understand it and then decide.

Somewhere out there may be a future World Ballroom Champion who simply hasn't discovered Ballroom yet.

Perhaps it's time we started serving our young dancers a few more fruits and vegetables.

And maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to make them taste like cake and ice cream!

I'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts!

Whether you're a teacher, coach, competitor, parent, organizer or simply someone who loves DanceSport, I'd really like to hear what you think. Should young dancers develop a foundation in both Ballroom and Latin before specializing? Are we doing enough to promote Ballroom? And how can we make it more appealing to the next generation?

Shoot me an email at thedansir23@gmail.com and share your thoughts!

You don't have to agree with me. Sometimes the best conversations begin when we don't!

For now, this concludes our two-part look at the future of International Ballroom. But it's a conversation worth continuing as our sport evolves.

After all, the future of Ballroom is something we all have a stake in.

Dan Messenger - World DanceSport Network