Ballroom dancing -- a blend of art and sport

Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta

Romance filled the air when two bodies waltzed as one silhouette to the rhythm of the music. The woman dazzled in an ocean blue feathered ball gown and the man wore an elegant black suit.

The magical effect of the ballroom dance has amazed me ever since I was a little girl. Dancing was the coolest profession, I thought. Twenty years later, my opinion remains the same.

Today, ballroom dancing is also known officially as dance sport rather than just an art form. It took the International Dancesport Federation (IDSF) about nine long years to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that ballroom dancing was a sport.

Finally in 1997, IOC recognized ballroom dancing as a dance sport. Nevertheless, this sport has not been listed as an official sport in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. However, IDSF hopes that China will include ballroom dancing in the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Only a few people would understand that ballroom dancing has been acknowledged as a sport. Like any other sport, stretching and warming-up is crucial before starting.

Also, it does burn calories (see that sweat?) and keeps you in good form. And it also requires discipline: Most dance sport athletes train more than one hour per day. Sometimes, they dance to 10 songs or more consecutively, with just a few seconds break between each song.

For every ballroom dancer, the dance itself generates much fun than merely a sweat-producing activity. Having witnessed their practice, most people will agree that ballroom dancing is definitely a sport regardless of how glamourous it may seem to the world. But glamour is part of this sport. The mixture of art, discipline and sweat has made ballroom dancing a beautiful and joyful sport.

Many people still believe that ballroom dancing is for old people. It's not true. Take the cha cha as an example, it's as energetic as disco dancing. Moreover, the number of young people learning ballroom dancing has been increasing, though at a slow pace. But, there's always hope to change its image.

Enrinia (Riri), 18, and her brother, Enrico, 16, are a good example. "Rico and I love dancing. Nobody forced us to do this," explained Riri, a ballroom dancer-cum-certified ballerina.

Evelyn, 16, and Melissa, 13, are the daughters of Erwan and Yulia, a well-known dance couple. The girls said that dancing helped them make friends.

"Besides chatting about other matters, we also talk about dancing competitions. As dancers, sometimes we meet again at international competitions. We keep in touch by chatting with ICQ (online chatting)," said Evelyn. "We get to know other dancers by chance. Such as, if we accidentally bumped against each other, we would say 'sorry' and the next thing we know, we're talking," added Melissa.

Lely L.K, a manager in her 20s, has a different story. All secretaries and managers at MSA Cargo must learn dancing as stated in their company's policy.

"That's good. So, at parties, we can entertain people, including guests of our company, instead of just being wallflowers. It makes it easier to mingle with other people. Moreover, dancing is an art," said Lely.

Along with Daniel Koyanswo (also employed by MSA Cargo), they took sixth place at the second Metropolitan Dance Championship, in 2001 and also won fourth place in Indonesia Dancesport Championship, in 2001.

They started to dance in 2000. Today, Lely teaches ballroom dancing to other MSA Cargo employees in a dance studio at her office.

Ballroom dancing is also a favorite activity of Ernst Ong, managing director of PT Rudolf Poly Chemicals, who does it at least once a week. "It makes me fit. Besides, unlike some other sports, I can do it anytime. Day or night, not unless you are dancing in a competition, it doesn't need any special outfit," revealed the man whose face belies his actual age of 59.

Yongki Maukar, an interior designer, has a passion for dancing as well. Having won several sport competitions, this veteran athlete takes dancing seriously.

"I love sports and I believe ballroom dancing is also a kind of sport, besides an art, of course," explained the third place winner of 110m hurdles at the seventh National Games in Surabaya in 1969.

Black Steer restaurant in Ambassador Mall is an eatery that has a 133-square-meter dance floor. Yami and her business partner, Santoso, are the dance organizers at the restaurant.

"Many expatriates dance at Black Steer. Among them are Singaporeans, Germans, Britons, Japanese, Thais, Malaysians, Filipinos, Finns and South Africans. Black Steer itself is franchised from South Africa. Some embassy's officials, such as Dutch, Croatians and Australians are our regular guests too," Yami said.

Usually, Yami and Santoso join other dancers on the dance floor too. They started to dance when they were teenagers in the 1960s. Yami used to dance regularly with her late husband. Now, Santoso is her dancing partner. Yami and Santoso still dance in their 60s, as they firmly believe that this sport keeps them fit.

Dancers flock the Black Steer especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Sunday is known as doctors' night at the restaurant. A band of medical doctors play music, while other doctors dance. However, non-medics are welcome too.

Dr. Melissa S. Luwia, head of the department of services and rehabilitation at Indonesian Cancer Foundation, also loves to dance at the restaurant with her husband, Dr. Boy Sinatra Luwia.

"As doctors, throughout the week, we're busy working. Dancing frequently is a good way to spend our precious time together. Also, it keeps me fit," said Melissa, who started to dance seven years ago. Melissa is also chairwoman of the Dance Gathering Club, which was set up in 1996, and now boasts approximately 200 members.

Regular dancers often look much younger than their actual age. Some of them reveal that the secret is the regular exercise and the satisfaction that they feel every time they dance. So, just dance to your heart's content, and have a great time! Like they say, dancing can be maddeningly addictive, so enjoy it!