Jane Jarvis Dance Studio

Dancers of the week, well done guys 🥰

Lets Hear It For The Boys

In the magical land of dance there is a fabled beast. They turn heads when they walk into a room, whispers among women quietly using a mental tape measure to work out whether they'll match 5ft 6 without shoes. A unicorn...a rare mythical creature...a man.

Now I am a big fan of men (not like that cheeky). The majority of my friends are the male of the species; straightforward, fun and refreshingly uncomplicated. This also isn't feminism ramped up to 10, just casual tongue-in-cheek observations from a woman who knows very little and has spent too much time staring at ballroom floors.

Firstly, I'd like to address the stereotype that dancing is “for girls.” Many a teenage boy has been put off dance by bullying and stereotypical attitudes. Michael himself danced as an early teen, but was discouraged by the barrage of bullying that ensued. Which feels ridiculous really, because I actually think partner dancing is an incredibly masculine thing to do. Leading another human being around a floor while they are literally in your arms, putting yourself out there to be judged, navigating traffic, staying calm, composed and controlled while maintaining someone else's trust? That's no small thing.

And honestly, teenage boys are missing a trick here. Some adolescent lads dream of being surrounded by girls and adored for simply existing, while ballroom boys are literally out here living that reality every Thursday night in a leisure centre in Worksop.

As a joiner, Michael will often turn up to houses in dirty workman's clothes and, while fitting a worktop or the like, conversation will inevitably lead to dance (because dance addicts cannot physically stop talking about dance). He says people's whole demeanour shifts when they realise he dances. Suddenly there's curiosity, respect, envy...almost reverence that this mystical being has appeared in their semi-detached house in Mansfield fitting laminate countertops while also apparently knowing how to do a Viennese Waltz.

Ballroom has a maths problem. There are fewer men than women, and that inevitably changes the ecosystem. This is perhaps magnified further in Nottinghamshire, where there is already a long-standing local legend that there are roughly five women to every man anyway, before you even factor ballroom into the equation. Frankly, the odds are terrifying.

A female dancer without a partner can have a long and arduous search, even if she is excellent. Endless try-outs, awkward messages, social media posts worded like professional job adverts. Whereas, and correct me if I'm wrong, a male can advertise and suddenly there's a queue of ladies lining up hoping to impress him. Sometimes it feels deeply unfair. A mediocre man can end up with a magnificent lady, whereas a magnificent man will never end up with a mediocre lady.

Every so often Michael will casually point at a woman across a competition hall and say, “Oh yes, we spoke once about dancing together.” As though I’m supposed to bow my head solemnly and whisper, thank you my lord for selecting me from your vast catalogue of women.

But before this turns into twenty paragraphs of women collectively moaning into their practice skirts, I should probably acknowledge the rather important fact that male dancers absolutely earn their keep.

Because I can dance as a lead and boy is it hard.

Putting someone else where they need to be, avoiding moving obstacles, remembering your own footwork and frame while also trying to look debonair and calm is honestly exhausting. I am incredibly glad that responsibility is not mine. Leading made me realise how pully and heavy I could be as a follower. If I'm anxious, tense or stiff then Michael physically cannot do his job properly. There's also a certain amount of strength required that I massively underestimated. Arm and shoulder day should absolutely not be skipped in the gym.

It also made me realise just how much trust is involved in dancing well with another person. When following properly you are, to a certain extent, surrendering control and trusting that someone else will steer the ship without crashing you into an elderly gentleman doing a Natural Turn. That takes skill from both people, but particularly from the one driving.

I also sometimes wonder whether a partnership really is a perfect 50/50 split, or whether the leading skills of the man can quietly hold more than their fair share of weight. I'm very easily led and I know for a fact the calibre of my partner impacts me massively. You see it particularly in Pro-Am events where stronger male leads inevitably make finals with their students. That's not to say the followers play no part at all, obviously they do, but a strong lead can elevate an entire partnership.

And while we're here, I'd also like to formally register my envy of the tailsuit.

I audibly gasp when Michael is fully dressed in competition finery. He looks wonderful. Yes, he's wearing makeup — albeit “man makeup,” which I maintain is probably just normal Maybelline with another twenty quid hiked onto the price. Meanwhile I'm pinned, glued and hairsprayed into something that resembles an aggressively glamorous soft furnishing.

The men get sleek black tailoring and timeless elegance. The women are out here dressed like the finale of a village carnival raffle.

And don't even get me started on heels. When Michael complains about dancing in Cuban heels in his Latin shoes, he receives very little sympathy from me as I prepare to spend six hours balanced on what are essentially glitter-coated medieval torture devices.

When I watch children dancing in solos, my eyes are always drawn to the boys on the floor. Not necessarily because they're better, but because there are fewer of them and they cut a different figure. Little bow ties and sharp suits amongst a sea of Quality Street coloured dresses. They naturally draw the eye because they're doing different steps, creating different shapes and moving differently through the music.

The same applies to adult solo male dancers too. We only have a couple in our area and they instantly become talking points simply because they're so unusual. Everyone notices them. Everyone watches them. And honestly? I have huge respect for them, because it takes a certain level of confidence to willingly walk into an environment where you know you'll stand out before you've even taken a single step.

I feel being a male dancer comes with its own perks and pitfalls; equally cursed and blessed. Yes, there are advantages in a world where women often outnumber men dramatically. Yes, there are probably opportunities and shortcuts that simply don't exist on the follower side of the floor. But there are pressures too. Expectations to lead, to guide, to stay composed, to perform masculinity in a world that can still be strangely uncomfortable with men dancing.

And despite all the joking, the fake outrage and the mild jealousy over tailoring options, ballroom would lose something enormous without them.

The whole thing works because of partnership. Because somebody leads and somebody follows. Because trust exists between two people for ninety seconds at a time while they hurtle around a floor pretending this all feels far more graceful than it actually is.

So here's to the boys. The rare creatures of the ballroom ecosystem. May they continue to appear mysteriously in village halls and sports centres across the country, causing whispered excitement among dance mums and mild panic among single ladies everywhere.

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Lets Hear It For The Boys

In the magical land of dance there is a fabled beast. They turn heads when they walk into a room, whispers among women quietly using a mental tape measure to work out whether they'll match 5ft 6 without shoes. A unicorn...a rare mythical creature...a man.

Now I am a big fan of men (not like that cheeky). The majority of my friends are the male of the species; straightforward, fun and refreshingly uncomplicated. This also isn't feminism ramped up to 10, just casual tongue-in-cheek observations from a woman who knows very little and has spent too much time staring at ballroom floors.

Firstly, I'd like to address the stereotype that dancing is “for girls.” Many a teenage boy has been put off dance by bullying and stereotypical attitudes. Michael himself danced as an early teen, but was discouraged by the barrage of bullying that ensued. Which feels ridiculous really, because I actually think partner dancing is an incredibly masculine thing to do. Leading another human being around a floor while they are literally in your arms, putting yourself out there to be judged, navigating traffic, staying calm, composed and controlled while maintaining someone else's trust? That's no small thing.

And honestly, teenage boys are missing a trick here. Some adolescent lads dream of being surrounded by girls and adored for simply existing, while ballroom boys are literally out here living that reality every Thursday night in a leisure centre in Worksop.

As a joiner, Michael will often turn up to houses in dirty workman's clothes and, while fitting a worktop or the like, conversation will inevitably lead to dance (because dance addicts cannot physically stop talking about dance). He says people's whole demeanour shifts when they realise he dances. Suddenly there's curiosity, respect, envy...almost reverence that this mystical being has appeared in their semi-detached house in Mansfield fitting laminate countertops while also apparently knowing how to do a Viennese Waltz.

Ballroom has a maths problem. There are fewer men than women, and that inevitably changes the ecosystem. This is perhaps magnified further in Nottinghamshire, where there is already a long-standing local legend that there are roughly five women to every man anyway, before you even factor ballroom into the equation. Frankly, the odds are terrifying.

A female dancer without a partner can have a long and arduous search, even if she is excellent. Endless try-outs, awkward messages, social media posts worded like professional job adverts. Whereas, and correct me if I'm wrong, a male can advertise and suddenly there's a queue of ladies lining up hoping to impress him. Sometimes it feels deeply unfair. A mediocre man can end up with a magnificent lady, whereas a magnificent man will never end up with a mediocre lady.

Every so often Michael will casually point at a woman across a competition hall and say, “Oh yes, we spoke once about dancing together.” As though I’m supposed to bow my head solemnly and whisper, thank you my lord for selecting me from your vast catalogue of women.

But before this turns into twenty paragraphs of women collectively moaning into their practice skirts, I should probably acknowledge the rather important fact that male dancers absolutely earn their keep.

Because I can dance as a lead and boy is it hard.

Putting someone else where they need to be, avoiding moving obstacles, remembering your own footwork and frame while also trying to look debonair and calm is honestly exhausting. I am incredibly glad that responsibility is not mine. Leading made me realise how pully and heavy I could be as a follower. If I'm anxious, tense or stiff then Michael physically cannot do his job properly. There's also a certain amount of strength required that I massively underestimated. Arm and shoulder day should absolutely not be skipped in the gym.

It also made me realise just how much trust is involved in dancing well with another person. When following properly you are, to a certain extent, surrendering control and trusting that someone else will steer the ship without crashing you into an elderly gentleman doing a Natural Turn. That takes skill from both people, but particularly from the one driving.

I also sometimes wonder whether a partnership really is a perfect 50/50 split, or whether the leading skills of the man can quietly hold more than their fair share of weight. I'm very easily led and I know for a fact the calibre of my partner impacts me massively. You see it particularly in Pro-Am events where stronger male leads inevitably make finals with their students. That's not to say the followers play no part at all, obviously they do, but a strong lead can elevate an entire partnership.

And while we're here, I'd also like to formally register my envy of the tailsuit.

I audibly gasp when Michael is fully dressed in competition finery. He looks wonderful. Yes, he's wearing makeup — albeit “man makeup,” which I maintain is probably just normal Maybelline with another twenty quid hiked onto the price. Meanwhile I'm pinned, glued and hairsprayed into something that resembles an aggressively glamorous soft furnishing.

The men get sleek black tailoring and timeless elegance. The women are out here dressed like the finale of a village carnival raffle.

And don't even get me started on heels. When Michael complains about dancing in Cuban heels in his Latin shoes, he receives very little sympathy from me as I prepare to spend six hours balanced on what are essentially glitter-coated medieval torture devices.

When I watch children dancing in solos, my eyes are always drawn to the boys on the floor. Not necessarily because they're better, but because there are fewer of them and they cut a different figure. Little bow ties and sharp suits amongst a sea of Quality Street coloured dresses. They naturally draw the eye because they're doing different steps, creating different shapes and moving differently through the music.

The same applies to adult solo male dancers too. We only have a couple in our area and they instantly become talking points simply because they're so unusual. Everyone notices them. Everyone watches them. And honestly? I have huge respect for them, because it takes a certain level of confidence to willingly walk into an environment where you know you'll stand out before you've even taken a single step.

I feel being a male dancer comes with its own perks and pitfalls; equally cursed and blessed. Yes, there are advantages in a world where women often outnumber men dramatically. Yes, there are probably opportunities and shortcuts that simply don't exist on the follower side of the floor. But there are pressures too. Expectations to lead, to guide, to stay composed, to perform masculinity in a world that can still be strangely uncomfortable with men dancing.

And despite all the joking, the fake outrage and the mild jealousy over tailoring options, ballroom would lose something enormous without them.

The whole thing works because of partnership. Because somebody leads and somebody follows. Because trust exists between two people for ninety seconds at a time while they hurtle around a floor pretending this all feels far more graceful than it actually is.

So here's to the boys. The rare creatures of the ballroom ecosystem. May they continue to appear mysteriously in village halls and sports centres across the country, causing whispered excitement among dance mums and mild panic among single ladies everywhere.

Teams still available - some favourites too

First come first served....

Dancers of the week
Well done guys 🥰

Dancer's of the week
Well done guys 🥰

Dancers of the week.

Well done guys.