Why Every Football Player Should Take Ballroom Dance Lessons

You might think it's a ridiculous notion to compare American football players to ballroom dancers. Dancers are like butterflies - they are light, airy creatures with the ability to effortlessly glide and float on a stage while football players strike rough and tough on the field. A football player running at you is more bull than butterfly. The soundtrack to a football game may include a lot of shouting, cracks, grunts, and groans, while ballroom dancing is always set to music. In what universe can these two worlds overlap? And why are professional American football players so great on "Dancing with the Stars?" The truth is that while it may be difficult to see, ballroom dancing and playing football have more in common than you may think.

Strength & Agility

There's no doubt that playing football requires strength. Football players often seem like physical juggernauts that could bulldoze their way through brick walls if they wanted to. But football also requires a quickness and lightness of step that is crucial to many forms of ballroom dance. The ability to quickly move your feet in different directions while changing positions with finesse on a dance floor can be easily transferred into an athletic arena. The agile dexterity that dancers exhibit can be a huge benefit to football players looking to improve their game. In other words - being light and airy, and moving swiftly with ease, will make you a much better football player.

Balance & Control

In addition to being nimble, another essential component of both ballroom dance and football is the ability to be in complete control of your body. Part of this equation is strength, but, as any dancer or athlete knows, physical strength alone will not keep you from falling flat on your face. Much of ballroom dance is about learning the skills you need to balance and stay upright, or to control your body to move into different positions. Loss of control or balance will not only affect you but also your dance partner. On the field, when you're running like hell for that yard line with a football tucked under your arm while trying to avoid encounters with the opposing team, you know that steadiness and control are vital. Learning to ballroom dance can discipline you to move your body with the combination of vigor and restraint needed to stop and go on a field without losing your balance.

Rhythm & Footwork

It may surprise you to know that rhythm and some fancy footwork can make you a better football player. In ballroom dancing, you work with partners to create a harmonious flow of movement. In order to succeed, dancers must know each other's rhythms and work with them. In somewhat the same way, football players need to anticipate the movements of their opponents and teammates in order to shape their own movements. Every player on the field has their own individual style and cadence and the best players are those who know how to respond and react to those differences. Footwork becomes an important part of this response. Knowing how and where to step is not only great for scoring touchdowns and avoiding tackles, it can mean the difference between a minor and a severe injury.

Endurance & Determination

Ballroom dancers and athletes achieve their greatness through hard work and dedication, and that usually means knowing when and how to push your body to reach a higher goal. The ones that flourish are the ones that don't give up. Whether you are learning a new step in your ballroom dance class, or trying to score a touchdown for your team, perseverance and determination are what set the proficient apart from the amateur.

Taking ballroom dancing lessons is an excellent way for football players and athletes of all kinds to improve their game while having fun! Contact Quick Quick Slow Ballroom Dance Studio today to start using some of that fancy footwork.