Blogs by Flo Fitzpatrick
Shall we Dance?
9/21/2025 7:39:18 AM
Category could also be humor...or war! Some observations on the benefits of ballroom dance for political leaders.
It occurs to me the current administration of the U.S. could learn a ton from the world of dance. Especially ballroom. I think the president, first lady, and Cabinet members all should take lessons. And they should be joined in this endeavor by the Supreme Court justices and all members of Congress.
This insight hit while I was watching the 2024 “World DanceSport Federation” Competition (on Youtube) last night and admiring the technique and energy and general performance skills (can we say excellent?!) of the dancers. When they say “world”...they were serious. Couples from Africa, Asia, America (North and South), and Europe. A couple representing The People’s Republic of China ended up placing third…behind Spain in second and France in first. A couple from Hong Kong (well..representing HK anyway…one of the dancers was Russian).
I watched the quarter finals, semi, and finals of the Latin competition. Amazing. Dancers from 59 countries taking the floor. No fights. No pushing or shoving. Lots of hugging and cheek kissing of rivals following results. No one slapping another dancer across the face and screaming, “Should have been ME!” Maybe backstage people were brawling but in public it was cordial. It was civilized. It was how we’d love to see people who claim to be leaders treat others.
I’m suggesting political leaders could benefit most by learning ballroom dance because, while other styles teach a variety of skills including grace, rhythm, discipline, balance, while cardio helps produce endorphins (!)and ALL forms of dance are great for the brain, ballroom adds the elements of partnership and teamwork.
One of the things I noticed in the competition (mainly because I was watching for it) was that the individual dancers were equal. No hogging the spotlight or trying to outshine one’s own partner.
Ballroom dance teaches folks to trust. It’s essential in a partnership this close. One has to have confidence one’s partner is going to grasp their hand after a spin, not crash them into a neighboring couple while making a circuit around the room, or let them fall after a lift. (Note: Lifts are NOT advised for beginners!)
Ballroom dance also teaches folks respect. Oddly, respect for self. It may sound weird, but, just one example, forcing yourself to be constantly aware of your posture as you move makes you respect your ability to achieve something. It’s a bit like a lawyer wearing a nice suit in a courtroom. He or she just feels more in control than if they were addressing a jury in their sweats or jammies. Respecting oneself for learning how to do a step without looking like a klutz provides a different kind of endorphin than cardio.
But in ballroom dancing one additionally learns respect for others, something that has been sorely lacking in politics for too many years and lately is non-existent. In ballroom, respecting your partner AND the other dancers means being able to glide around that floor without crashing into anyone else. It means being able to admire skills in others that support, rather than diminish. You might even rethink how you look at someone else, understanding what it takes to achieve a tough move and make it look effortless. You're less likely to bully the person who's just executed a perfect series of steps you're trying to accomplish.
So, I think it’s time the current administration signs up for dance lessons. After all, there’s a “big, beautiful,” new, multi-million dollar ballroom being built. Perhaps if the “leaders” could manage a three-minute waltz with someone from a different country, or worse (in their eyes anyway), from the opposite party, maybe they’d achieve some of that grace, discipline, rhythm, balance, respect, teamwork, trust, (endorphins as a bonus?) and, possibly most important… a little respect.
Shall we dance?
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