Ballroom Dancing - a serious perversion?

[Andy in Sig]

Last night I was doing a bit of channel flicking prior to going to bed and stumbled on the German Open Ballroom Dancing Championships. What struck me as being bizarrely revolting but also utterly compelling viewing were the obviously fake and even slightly mad facial expressions which the dancers put on. I'm not on about a rictus grin obviously held in place by stiff wires but the really disturbing mock expressions of surprise or passion (especially for some reason during the various latin dances). This struck me as being somehow in Hannibal Lector territory and I'm inclined to think that ballroom dancers all have tortured psyches and it is only there hobby which keeps them from kidnapping and disembowelling young children. I mean, they're just not normal, are they?

 

[Archie_tect]

.... about as normal as 'proper' cyclists...

 

[Andy in Sig]

You might have something there: the lighter the racing bike, the more extreme the lycra, the more humourless and grimmer the facial expression. If they weren't out on their road bikes, they would most likely be beheading grannies with sharp axes.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Which may be all very well, but you really do need to have had a lobotomy before actually WANTING to watch something like Strictly Come Ballroom Dancing in the first place, so if they proceed to murder the audience, will it be such a massive loss anyway?

As an aside, some of the women who do these things always remind me of the phrase

'She's seen more pricks than a dartboard'.

 

[Simba]

You might have something there: the lighter the racing bike, the more extreme the lycra, the more humourless and grimmer the facial expression. If they weren't out on their road bikes, they would most likely be beheading grannies with sharp axes.

If you say so.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Which may be all very well, but you really do need to have had a lobotomy before actually WANTING to watch something like Strictly Come Ballroom Dancing in the first place, so if they proceed to murder the audience, will it be such a massive loss anyway?

As an aside, some of the women who do these things always remind me of the phrase

'She's seen more pricks than a dartboard'.

I have seen one programme of Strictly Come Dancing and that seems to be the harmless, almost fun end of it. The stuff I flicked on to was the serious professionals. It was surreally bizarre.

 

[Archie_tect]

Very serious business!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I have seen one programme of Strictly Come Dancing and that seems to be the harmless, almost fun end of it.

Fairdos. I was only saying that because my parents watch it, so it must be a bit retarded

The stuff I flicked on to was the serious professionals. It was surreally bizarre.

A bit like kiddie beauty pageants in the U.S and the like??

 

[chillyuk]

Good ballroom is defined as a vertical expression of a horizontal desire.

 

[phaedrus]

If you're talking about the top levels of professional competition then, yes, not surprisingly it's serious business. How do you think non-cyclists perceive the attire, equipment and facial expressions of top professional cyclists during a race?

 

[Hover Fly]

Or even some bottom level amateurs on their way to work?

 

[Canrider]

..and in cycling they'll be wearing helmet, goggles and keeping their head down. Imagine if they had to keep head up and smile while hammering in a sprint?

 

[Aperitif]

Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather - my favourites! Clever and practised and fit these dancer people - I wish I could do it... bowling ball and skittles is more like my style I fear

 

[zacklaws]

I think ballroom dancing is great especially at my age, only time I get a flash of knicker and see a bit of leg these days, unless I get lucky.