Level of your social scene

[ttd]

What is the average level of your local social scene?

Around here it's mainly bronze - both in terms of patterns and technique, with a handful of more advanced dancers (coincidentally, most of the advanced group competes). Also, only competitive dancers know international style. Non-competitive crowd "knows" samba and quickstep, but everything else is american style. I am putting "knows" in quotes, because very few people actually attempt those dances, but even those who don't do them at least recognize them.

[dream a little dream]

More rhythm than smooth, not much standard or latin at all. 

[malakawa]

What is the average level of your local social scene?

Around here it's mainly bronze - both in terms of patterns and technique, with a handful of more advanced dancers (coincidentally, most of the advanced group competes). Also, only competitive dancers know international style. Non-competitive crowd "knows" samba and quickstep, but everything else is american style. I am putting "knows" in quotes, because very few people actually attempt those dances, but even those who don't do them at least recognize them.

and where is that? 

here in florida, when it comes to social ballroom dancing - bronze or silver.

but when it comes to salsa - you have some good dancers, and one that they think they are good. 

[Rugby]

Around here its a mix of American and International.  In my opinion its about a social bronze level with many people trying to do gold level and some pre-champ moves with pre-bronze level technique.  Of course the majority of dance instruction is barely at a competitive bronze level at best so how can they become better even if they wanted to.  I guess if they are happy with how they dance and the instruction they are getting (if any) thats all that matters I suppose.  Of the ones that do take lessons its mainly group ones.

[ttd]

What is the average level of your local social scene?

Around here it's mainly bronze - both in terms of patterns and technique, with a handful of more advanced dancers (coincidentally, most of the advanced group competes). Also, only competitive dancers know international style. Non-competitive crowd "knows" samba and quickstep, but everything else is american style. I am putting "knows" in quotes, because very few people actually attempt those dances, but even those who don't do them at least recognize them.

and where is that? 

here in florida, when it comes to social ballroom dancing - bronze or silver.

but when it comes to salsa - you have some good dancers, and one that they think they are good. 

It's in Midwest.

[emeralddancer]

well ........ at most of the studios here I would say bronze to silver. International and American with a smattering salsa and a whole lotta Swing. majority social dancers with healthy mix competitors, good, bad, decent, top notch coaches/teachers. A very healthy mix overall. Any budget, any whatever you need.

My particular studio is almost all competitors, all international styles, and almost all higher silver/gold open, etc .... teaching is very good. (but in MD/DC area there is a plethora of good and great teachers .... even if you want to take a 3 hour drive into NJ/NY area.)

[cornutt]

We have a good mix of bronze and silver dancers, plus a few students who are capable of dancing above silver when the floor isn't too crowded.  Practically all American style; I can only thing of 4 current students who dance international regularly.  We get heavy participation, as in pretty much everyone in the room, for:

Waltz
Foxtrot
Tango
Rumba
Cha-cha
ECS/WCS (they play a number of songs that are suitable for either)
Country two-step
Salsa
Mambo
Merengue (when they play one, which they don't every week)
Bolero (some students do rumba instead)

We get about half of the room for:

Quickstep
VW
Hustle

Samba is "corrupted"; we have a line dance which is done to a samba which usually draws more dancers when a samba is played.  

We don't play jive or paso during the socials.  We do have a few students who dance them in showcases and comps.  We have some students learning lindy and AT, and we will probably start playing some music for these as soon as there is a group of dancers for them.  We used to play some nightclub two-step, but at one point we lost all of our NC2S dancers.  The owners are considering re-introducing it with a group class month.  

[elisedance]

Rugby just described our scene - a bit flatteringly I fear... |)

[QPO]

We have several different providers who cater for different groups. So the standard varies considerably...from people on the floor just beginners or so those that really know what they are doing.

It is strange the schools that cater for comp dancers tend not to have a social scene (except for one), so it is left to the others to fill the gap.

[ThisIsNotMe]

Social scene is nonexistant here, unfortunately.  If you want to dance, you have lessons, and that's as far as it goes.  It's pretty sad, really.

[Beachbum]

Mine is pretty similar to Cornutt's but we have a full floor for 4-count hustle.  Not many people dance 3-count.

Nobody dances mambo but we have a few who dance cumbia and bachatta (me).

We have just 3 or 4 couples who dance Viennese waltz, myself included and about 6-8 couples will dance a polka.

Our studio socials are open to the public so we see a wide range of levels; most people at my studio who have stuck around for a year or so dance at Intermed. Bronze.  We occasionally see some competitive couples but they never dance with anybody but their own partner and typically breeze in and out.

The main commercial ballroom venue that I go to is skewed in age to people in their 60s, 70s and 80s.  Frankly most of them are rather unskilled with a few exceptions and a smattering of younger serious dancers, but they enjoy themselves and I applaud them for getting out and being active.

[elisedance]

Social scene is nonexistant here, unfortunately.  If you want to dance, you have lessons, and that's as far as it goes.  It's pretty sad, really.

Maybe you could encourage someone you know (or do it yourself ) to start a ballroom then?  Seems like a bit of an opportunity...  sorry I'm so far away

[Lioness]

Where I dance the level is probably pre-bronze, with a few exceptions (like when people from other studios visit our socials...)

As QPO said, many of the competition schools don't have socials, so the comp dancers occasionally come to ours, but I think they get fed up with the slowness of the floor and don't come back. I'm looking for somewhere faster to go as well, but it will probably be a process of trial and error.

[QPO]

I hear that there is going to be a new one for training for comp and medalist, but I don't think it will have instruction, they will just place music so you can practice...might give that a try.

[SwingWaltz]

Anywhere from absolute beginner to championship level (we have masters level 5s)