Spectator Tickets

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Many people attending their first ballroom competition expect to find the audience sitting in serene dignity, delicately applauding at the completion of each dance. Instead, the spectators are yelling, cheering, jumping up and down, and generally carrying on the way they would at any other spectator sport.   Ballroom dancers thrive on audience appreciation. Even if you don’t know the first thing about ballroom dancing, you still have an important role to play at a competition. 

Audience participation is not only allowed, but also encouraged and welcomed. If the audience is too quiet, the emcee will usually persuade them to shout out the numbers of their favorite couples.   Remember:  the more you cheer, the better they dance! If this is your first ballroom competition, you may wonder what the appropriate ways are to show your support for the dancers as they compete on the floor.  

Be Loud!  Be Specific!  Be Generous!  Hoot and Holler, Whistle and Scream

The dance floor is big (typically 40 x 64 feet) and the music is heavily amplified. For your expressions of encouragement to overcome such noise and distance, you will need to be loud. Shouting, whistling and foot stomping are great ways to show your support!  

Let your favorite dancers know you are cheering them on! If you know their names, shout them out. Better still, shout out their numbers (displayed on the gentlemen's back). They may not acknowledge your call, but they will hear it and it will inspire them – especially near the end of their Heat when they are exhausted!  

Remember that everyone out there is giving it everything they’ve got. Don’t limit your support to the hottest dancers or the ones you may know. Root for all the dancers who are giving it their best, whether you know them or not. Enjoy seeing their faces light up with surprise when they get a cheer from you that they weren’t expecting.

Competitive ballroom dancing is an artistic sport, and the dancers need to impress the judges. But they are also keenly aware of the audience, and often go out of their way to impress you, too. Much of their choreography is performed at the edges of the floor for the specific purpose of capturing your attention. So don’t be bashful! Hoot and holler, whistle and scream! The more you give, the more they give.  

Play “Judge” During the Competition

You are invited to play “judge” during the competition and see if you agree with the judges' results. 

Congratulations!  Like millions of DanceSport spectators around the world, you’re now “in the know” about how to show your support and add to the excitement of this unique and artistic sporting event!