SUBJECT: Ballroom Dancing in the Philippines

RE: WAKE UP CALL!

DESTINATION: www.philippineballroom.com

            Ballroom dancing is popular in the Philippines.  It has been widely patronized by juveniles and oldies alike.  Ballroom dancing aficionados are classified into three i.e. the Social Dancers; Amateurs: and Professionals.

            Social dancers are the mere enthusiasts who go to ballroom clubs usually accompanied by their dance instructors or fellow protégés to sweat off their dancing passion just for the heck of it; the Amateurs are the ones who took their dancing fervor to the next level.  They are the types who train and ready themselves to compete, mostly first timers; the Professionals, as deemed seniors and stipendiary in the business, most of which are dance instructors, teachers, and coaches.  Majority of those professional dancers are winners, if not champions, of several competitions.  They are ballroom dancers already established.

            Ballroom dancing is known for its highly disciplined moves of dance, nevertheless, its appeal is rampant everywhere.  Many are fascinated by it.  I, for one, find it really sexy. 

            Say, someone wants to get into it…but have these questions to ask-

How does one become a ballroom dancer? What does he need to acquire get past social dancing stage and move on to being an amateur? How does he go through from being an amateur to becoming a professional? What does he need to accomplish in order to become a professional ballroom dancer?

            Most commonly, the notion of Filipinos about ballroom dancing is, superficial.  In spite of its popularity, no one really knows what goes on in the ballroom industry (if there’s even such a thing); or maybe the dancers themselves do, but…what about it? How does it work among them? Is there a system that they cling to?

One of the major problems existent in the ballroom dancing scene are a) the excessive number of teachers but b) less number of clients.  Statistic-wise, there’s a reckoning imbalance.  This happen because of the overpriced booking rates of dance instructors.  There may be a lot out there more than eager to hone their dancing inclinations but considering the economy in our country and the inflations of everything that results to the fall of our currency value…who would want to pay $100 for 45 minutes of dance session? Suffice to say, what can you learn in 45 minutes??...A little compromise wouldn’t hurt, if you ask me.  A lesser rate of service can be very convenient for both instructors and clients.  That way too, the demands of supply are met. Isn’t that how every business should operate?

            Legality pertaining to certifications of dance teachers is also an issue.  In other countries, dance councils accredited by the government require the would-be instructors to acquire teaching certificates before they can teach.  Supposedly, only professionals can teach.  Our so-called professionals here in the Philippines, when they go to other countries, are considered illegal.  Whereby they are the best in the craft, if they have no papers to show they will not be considered in the professional status.  This also happen because dance councils are not working properly…besides the lack of support from the government.  Councils may want to secure accreditation and license but who to give them that? If there’s no agency from the government to grant accreditations, then how can councils demand and monitor the certification that teachers should have?

Where’s the system now??   

One of the matters also often overlooked is the deficiency of qualified judges.  Should there be a competition, councils usually pick those who are professionals in the field…then again, who are the professionals? How does a professional actually become a professional when there is no certification to attest to that?

With all of these shortcomings, what’s in store for ballroom dancing in the Philippines?

We talk about how ballroom dancing is popular and that it helps boost tourism in our country but…does it really??

 The entire ballroom industry is in decrement.  The councils are inactive.  Inapt decorum and poor encouragement to its members give inconsistent flow to it.  There’s a melodramatic baffle among the dancers, an unspoken melee.  Despite each and everyone’s hard work, all the industry ends up is in hapless cringe of prestige.

BOSH! BALDERDASH...more, NONSENSE!

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Council authorities need to have a tête-à-tête with each other as well as the dancers with their comrades.  In order to better promote the ballroom industry, they should be stalwart to come up with a system on how to run it, have it verbatim, and then implement it.  A good system to accommodate problems will aid into resolving the matters that needs to be resolved. 

Ballroom dancing is much too serious a business to be taken for granted.  It is a shame that those who are into it, ‘though not all, are the ones underrating it themselves.  More than anything, it is imperative to change the stigma of ballroom dancing in the Philippines in order to keep its ubiquity for the next years to come.  Surely, nobody would want to end up to nothing but just thinking about it in retrospect, is there?

RESURGENCE is more like it! 

Lastly, it’s actually just as simple as coming to terms with their problems in the industry…well, maybe not that simple but…hey, it has to start from somewhere.