| Tom Bergeron why haven't you called? I've been | | | | Dance studios are popping up all over world, due to |
| anxiously waiting for the phone to ring inviting me to | | | | the success of Dancing With The Stars! Millions of |
| be one of the contestants on your show! While I'm | | | | average, down to earth folks whose previous idea of |
| not exactly a celebrity, I'm sure I would score well | | | | exercise was to push the button on the TV remote, |
| with your TV audience because they could more | | | | are now hustling down to the nearest dance studio; |
| readily relate to me; being one of them. I can just | | | | signing up for dancing lessons. While I first learned to |
| see the couple down the street watching; Harriet | | | | dance because there were girls in the class, there are |
| punching Bill with her elbow and saying, "Look how | | | | other benefits to dancing. |
| graceful and poised he is! He's one of us! You could | | | | Generally you will discover a greater appreciation on |
| be doing that if you weren't so lazy!" | | | | music and its rhythms. Your posture will be much |
| I'm sure you can see where having a man of the | | | | better because you can't slouch in ballroom dancing. |
| street on your show could spur the ballroom dancing | | | | The physical benefits are numerous; more stamina, |
| craze that is sweeping the nation to even a higher | | | | your circulatory system will become more developed |
| level. In the finals I would sweep across the floor | | | | and your legs will be strengthened. All this exercise |
| with my pro partner, Cheryl Burke, eliciting cries of | | | | will not only help you lose weight, but will aid in the |
| "Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!" from the three judges. | | | | care of high blood pressure and diabetes. I wasn't |
| Breathing hard from the exertion of a perfect dance, | | | | thinking of all this years ago in dance class but it must |
| I would look humbly at the camera and say, "I just | | | | have worked because I'm still kicking up my heels. |
| wanted to lose a few pounds. That's why I joined. I | | | | Ballroom dancing has come a long way in this country |
| had no idea we would win the whole thing!" That's | | | | in the last 40 years. There's even a concerted effort |
| showing a lot of humility and will increase your ratings | | | | to make ballroom dancing an Olympic event. The |
| exponentially. | | | | name has even been changed for World and Olympic |
| Back in my college days, I enrolled in a ballroom | | | | competition to "Dancesport" but it's still ballroom |
| dancing class. Most of the class at that time was | | | | dancing to me. |
| mostly comprised of girls. Guys back then were all | | | | Ballroom dancing has been competitive on the |
| eaten up with testosterone and feared being called | | | | collegiate level for years, but I was surprised that |
| sissies or worse. Youth however knows no fear so I | | | | MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, annually |
| joined the class. My sense of pride vanished when I | | | | holds one of the largest ballroom dancing |
| discovered that the class had twice as many girls | | | | competitions in the country, with nationally and |
| than guys! I'm no fool. | | | | internationally know dancers competing. Who would |
| The class was fun and I learned a little about dancing | | | | have thought such a staid and venerable institution |
| the foxtrot, the rumba and the waltz. I found | | | | would know anything about dancing. Universities all |
| however, that this knowledge didn't apply much to | | | | over the country have competing ballroom dance |
| dancing at the local bar on Saturday night. There | | | | teams that are phenomenal. There are so many |
| wasn't a lot of call for the rumba at the Stardust | | | | ballroom dance competitions that I wouldn't be |
| Club, so over the years I sort of lost touch with ball | | | | surprised if there aren't degrees in ballroom dancing |
| room dancing until I watched Dancing with the Stars. | | | | soon! |
| The way they dance on TV and the way I learned | | | | I'll be waiting by the phone for next year's call. Please |
| were definitely two different sets of dances | | | | don't wait too long for age is creeping upon me and |
| altogether. I had never seen anything like what they | | | | my joints are aching. Guess I'll have to enroll in a |
| were doing on DWS and the girls in my old dancing | | | | dance class again. Besides I need to lose a few |
| class never wore costumes like the contestants on | | | | pounds. |
| TV! | | | | |