I have recently been charged with organizing dance hosts for the USA Dance Los Angeles Chapter dances. Here is what I wrote in a recent newsletter to potential dance hosts:

People ask me all the time: "Where did you learn how to Ballroom dance?". I tell them: "The streets". That's not exactly true. I took some Ballroom competition lessons with Wiley Simpson, and quickly discovered that I had little interest in competition Ballroom dancing. Having been a serious dancer and instructor for a few years, I just wanted to get better at Ballroom. I knew from experience that the best way to get there was "on the floor".

So, I looked on the Internet and asked people where the closest Ballroom was to where I lived. They told me about the Mayflower Ballroom. I went, and there I found a warm and inviting atmosphere, full of very friendly people who welcomed and encouraged me. No matter how many times I stepped on the ladies or bumped into them or generally misled them, they simply smiled and encouraged me to keep trying. This would not have happened at Westmor, or a few other Ballroom environments I can think of. Consequently, I don't think I would have progressed as fast, or came to love Ballroom as much, had I started anywhere else.

I also had another advantage: I came to Ballroom dancing as an experienced dancer. But, because I've not been dancing that long, I still remember what it feels like to be a beginning dancer: The fear, uncertainty, embarressment and other negative emotions which haunt you every time you try to approach the dance floor.

When you remember what it was like when you were a beginning dancer, it makes it easier for you to relate to the beginning dancer you're dancing with. Calm down. Relax. It's not that serious. Do what you know, and let's just have fun. Smile!

So, why does the USA Dance Los Angeles Chapter need dance hosts? Because we are about promoting Ballroom dancing. That means encouraging new dancers to come out and dance. We can have all the fancy words in the world about the Joy of Dancing and the Fun of Dancing and how good it makes you feel and how good it is for your physical and mental health... But, if we aren't representing that at our social dances, then it's just a lot of hot air. That is, if we aren't providing a nurturing environment for the beginning dancer, then it's going to be a while before he or she feels that joy.

We need dance hosts, and the general membership at large, to take on the task of helping the beginning dancer feel comfortable and welcomed. We spread the Joy not merely by words, but by example. They will see the Joy of Dancing in our eyes, our faces, our smiles.

Dance hosting, to me, isn't just about showing up and dancing with a bunch of people you don't know for an hour, then hanging out with your friends the rest of the time. To me, it should be about being warm and friendly to everyone (female AND male) all night long. To me, it's not about the number of times you dance or the number of people you dance with. It's about the quality of your dances: "Is my partner having a good time?"

I believe that in order to create the kind of warm, nurturing, fun and positive atmosphere I'm talking about, we need people focused on and committed to this task. Everyone in the USA Dance LA membership should have this mindset, but it is our dance hosts in particular who are charged with carrying it out and making it a reality.

This is why I believe we need dance hosts. I appreciate everyone who has volunteered to help. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up to our Dance Host mail list located in the right column of the USA Dance LA subgroup.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and Happy Dancing!

-Ron Parker

" I'm not just a dance host, I'm a dance experience. "