“Dancing Queens”: The Final Review

The final episode (Episode 8) of the reality TV show “Dancing Queens” was aired on June 27. It is briefly reviewed here, followed by a summary of all my eight reviews, thus concluding this endeavor of mine.

1. A brief review of Episode 8

The results from Millennium (https://m2dance.com/) 2022: out of 14 couples: Sabrina (1^st), Gaëlle (2^nd), Leonie (3^rd), and Colette (6^th). Millennium is a major competition, but not in the top-tier, which includes only the USDC and OSB, IMHO.

Congratulations, Sabrina!

2. Is it all worth it, Sabrina?

Sabrina, the star of the reality show, apparently has little real support from her family. Three examples (paraphrasing):

Her elder sister said to her: “You do more for yourself than most other women.”
Her husband said to her: “It is a hobby. If you treat it as work, there is no fun.”
Her daughter said to her: “You can’t keep going like this.”

Enough said?

3. A list of my previous reviews

4. What is the ballroom dancing industry, anyway?

Simply put, it can be characterized in three points as follows:

It is a niche business.
Pro/am (vs. pro/pro and am/am) is where money is.
Age-group C (ages 51-60) is by far the majority, with S1 (ages 61-70) being the #2.

In other words, it is primarily for the folks aged 51 and above, without children at home. Furthermore, on the most competitive end, it has been primarily for [rich] housewives, although more and more working folks and retired folks are joining the crowd.

5. Summary of the reality show

Overall, I applaud the efforts by both the producer and the six “queens” who participated in this show, and I wish them well.

However, IMHO, the reality show was a mistake from the start for one simple reason: It depicts the industry as something it is not (aka “distortion”). Three examples:

The industry is not [primarily] about the working women in age-group B (ages 36-50).
The industry is not [primarily] about the working women wearing low-cuts in public and in interviews. Instead, the majority tries to be well-dressed on the dance floor (yes, even sexy in Rhythm and Latin), while appearing regularly outside of the ballroom, especially in front of young children.
The word “frenemy” is a total mischaracterization of the reality. Yes, folks do compete, sometimes fiercely. But few take a win or lose very seriously for one reason: most folks are too old and too mature to truly care about it!

Bottom line: I would never have started a reality show like that, if I had been in charge.

But, then, what do I know about the business of reality shows?

There may even be another season for “Dancing Queens,” as reality shows are a good business overall – See the image below as an example.

6. Sabrina, again

Get your priorities right – You cannot “have it all” (as you stated at the end of the reality show), especially between competitive ballroom dancing and parenting!

Two informative readings on parenting for Sabrina and Sabrina-likes:

Bottom line: Parenting first and do more with less in dancing. For example, cut-down on travel (America’s most efficient amateur man in ballroom dancing?)! Make up the lost time in dancing after the children are out, just like the majority in the industry does!

7. “Dancing Queens & Kings”

This forthcoming book (highlighted below) is a result of the reality show, but not a response to it.

For more, read Dancing Queens & Kings: Call for Participation (2).

8. Closing

I am glad the reality show is over. Hopefully, I have largely filled the gap between the reality show and the reality via my eight critical reviews, one for each episode.

Finally, my new book (“Dancing Queens & Kings”) will hopefully have a hugely positive and more enduring impact on the ballroom dancing industry, making it better, faster!