Gender, 'ideals' and body image in ballroom and Latin American dancing

Ballroom and Latin American dancing is currently a popular form of leisure in many countries around the world, yet until recently it has been relatively neglected by sociologists. This paper draws on ethnographic research at a dancing school in the South of England in order to explore how the experience of learning Ballroom and Latin American dancing shapes individuals’ feelings about their bodies. It focuses particularly on the narratives of men and women who take part in Ballroom and Latin American dancing competitions as part of their leisure activities. The paper explores dancers’ images and understandings of the ‘ideal dancer’ and how these differ for men and women across Ballroom and Latin disciplines. The way in which dancers negotiate the gap between themselves and the ‘ideal’ will be discussed. Furthermore, efforts to achieve the gendered ideal, such as losing weight, investing in costumes and learning to appear more confident will be examined. Finally, this paper considers the interaction between the performance of masculinities and femininities on the dance floor with those performed outside of it, for example in the workplace. It is hoped that this paper will contribute and increased understanding of the complexity of the stories that male and female ballroom dancers tell about their bodies and the experience of learning to dance.