Starting to Dance

Abstract

This chapter discusses dancers’ entries into the world of Ballroom and Latin American dancing and considers the extent to which these are gendered. The first part of the chapter considers people’s narratives around beginning to dance, drawing out some of the key features when starting to dance in childhood, adulthood and retirement. The second part of the chapter considers how dance partnerships are formed at TopDance and the role of gender within the try-out process. Finally, the chapter considers dance-related consumption and how the purchase of the first pair of dancing shoes acts as a marker of commitment to learning to dance.