Characteristic for the ballroom dancer is the straight, upright body – and a flat stomach.
But instead of looking fit and competent and improving the dancing skills the dancer fights a hollow back and a bulging belly.

The feet are the dancer’s main tool.
Specific fitness training can prevent pain and injuries and provide muscles which are strong and mobile enough for precise, explosive and fast footwork.

2 minutes of slow walz at competition tempo, 2 minutes of natural turn, change, reverse turn – that means about 60 times lowering and raising the body, or in other words: about 30 knee bends on each leg.

The chest, pointing forward, is essential for an optimal body shape. Expanding the chest also involves the chest muscles – they have to give, as much as possible!
But very often they simply don’t – making the dancer look like a looser, complete with with sagging shoulders, slouching and miserable.

The seemingly effortless way of ballroom dancers to move to the music is a result of considerable fitness.
But dancing alone is not enough to improve strength and mobility.

The good news for the photographer: Group shots are static, there is no movement to cope with.
The bad news: there are some very challenging issues to consider.

The pictures taken with bouncing look definitely better – so much better that bouncing seems to be a foolproof way to great shots.
But it is far from foolproof. In fact it is quite difficult to handle.

Cameras pointed at dancers, flashes going off: a common thing accompanying even the smallest dancesport event.
And everyone pointing a camera wants pictures of the best quality acchievable - simply because each event is unique, never to be repeated.

To feel the body’s position, understand the information which joints and muscles send to the brain and to be able to react accordingly is one of the dancer’s basic skills.

To dance means to move.
But it is also true that dancing is about how to stand correctly: balance and stability are extremely important for a dancer.

The term energy in physics means something different from the energies which we feel, which flow through our bodies. It’s a quantity which can be objectively measured in watt per second or kilowatt per hour.
Guest Writer Prof. Dr. Dierck-Ekkehard Liebscher on physics in dancesport.

Aspects of nutriton, the body's chemistry as well as the laws of physics decide whether the athlete suffers from cramps, pain and other problems with muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Guest writer Dr. Erik Wischnewski on diet and other aspects in competition dancing.

A dancer who makes that yoga posture part of the warming-up is able to make an impression on the floor and to demonstrate confidence and mental power.
Guest writer Lubosch Bublák on Ashtanga-Yoga in competition dancing.

A hungry dancer is not able to concentrate. But also a full stomach doesn't help: a well fed dancer is slow and sluggish.
Fighting hunger with small meals - how does that work?
Guest writer Dr. Erik Wischnewski on diet in competition dancing.

”The human body is made of water“ – well, almost: water accounts for about 60% of the body weight. Already a loss of water equivalent to 10% of the body weight is dangerous ...
Guest writer Dr. Erik Wischnewski on diet in competition dancing.

... or Why It Makes Sense For Dancers To Climb Trees.
The classical tree posture in yoga is about keeping a swaying or - in this case - dancing body in balance.
Guest writer Lubosch Bublák on Ashtanga-Yoga in competition dancing.

Tango Argentino: A code of conduct for real men, a concertina made in Germany, and a couple of dancing steps –  this can’t be all, can it?

“Ouch!” is what the beginner achieves when trying the Forward Bend for the first time ...
Guest writer Lubosch Bublák on Ashtanga-Yoga in competition dancing.

Adho Mukha Svanasana ... Adho – what? Ok, simply call the pose ‘Downward Facing Dog’
Guest writer Lubosch Bublák on Ashtanga-Yoga in competition dancing.

“ It is important to master the basics. They account for 50 percent of the success.”

Without a center of stability the dancer’s body is like a portion of jelly. To move across the floor in a flowing motion is the result of a firmly controlled body.
Guest writer Lubosch Bublák on Ashtanga-Yoga in competition dancing.

The gentleman’s tailcoat is always accompanied by patent leather shoes. High Heels and straps: Latin shoes are the racing cars of the ladies’ dancing shoes.
About dancing shoes – and how to buy dancing shoes on Reeperbahn in Hamburg ...

”I simply didn’t spent much thought about what could go wrong. So I went to Paris, on my own, to meet my dancing partner. I didn’t speak a word of French or any other foreign language and changing trains was a real adventure.”

A dancer’s performance depends on various things, to focus the training on technical aspects alone is not the answer. “Two to three times training per week, each session about one to one and a half hours. It is better to take away some time here and to use it to cover other important dimensions...”

“Thinking outside the box is a must if a dancer plans a dancesport career. The dance floor is international, if not global.”
Asis Khadjeh-Nouri's dancefloor is about the size of Europe and beyond...

Every Monday St. Columb Minor Church Hall turns into a ballroom — one of the smallest I ever saw, even the car park is larger.
But it is the most romantic of all the ballrooms I know...

It is all about personality, the dancer's term is ‘expression’, and the lady's dress is definitely part of it:
“Before making a dress for a friend I try to catch what's special about her, what matches her style, try to find the individual color pattern.”

“To really relax I go to my parents' place in Glinde. Whenever possible I come to the family home to find peace and to rest.”
There is only one thing in Cathrin's life: Dancing. Which leaves no other option than to aim at becoming a professional.