 (Excerpts
from an article written by Vikky Bondoc-Cabrera and published in ISYU Opinion
Paper 11 March 1997, Philippines)
Men seldom have any reason to fear with
the wives or girlfriends who dance closely with their handsome young DIs in the ballroom
halls. Even if we occasionally hear stories of female guests and DIs romances, this seldom
is the case.
So what do the women do in the
ballroom hall aside from enjoying dancing with their DIs?
Most women find ballroom dancing a
wonderful exercise to keep physically fit with flattering curves. Can't remember the exact
source, but experts say dancing is one of the most effective exercises to lose unwanted
fats and kilos, even better than jogging and tennis. Dancing helps cleanse away the body's
impurities as we sweat the night away, tones the muscle and skin, and stretches hardened
sinews. I've actually met an 80-year old woman who used to walk with a cane suffering from
debilitating arthritis, but can now outlast her granddaughters on the floor.
Dancing is a great morale
booster too, capable of casting aside self-doubt when other activities fail. Whenever I'm
depressed, and can't get to a dance place, I just plop in a good CD, grab a chair or
the doorknob, practice some sequences. The spirit lifts up when other dancers express
their appreciation for your smooth and graceful moves.
For others, ballroom dancing is a
refreshing get-together (much like a girls' night out) to share the latest news on
politics (we're not just interested in home management, you know), meet possible business
partners and clients, and sometimes to gab about the latest tsismis (gossip).
During the elections of 1995, my best buddy and I convinced our willing DIs and dance
addict friends to help campaign for our candidates, on opposite camps though. DIs and
dancing guests are voters too, remember, and informal political debates in between dancing
left us all more politically aware and critical of our candidates. The friendly
competition has even made us better friends.
Since
most dancing women are professionals with their own lucrative jobs or businesses, it is
natural to trade
business ideas, and even look for partners or clients. A lady executive makes a point
to promote her dealership business by distributing discount coupons to guests or donating
a brand new cell phone as prize on special ballroom dance nights. Another friend, the owner
of a shoe factory in Marikina, shows off her new classy designs right on the dance floor,
and seldom goes home without a list of new orders.
That's
right, guys, dancing is our counterpart of your golf and your workout at the gym.
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