Dance content ideas for ballroom dancers

These are written to be filmed. The topics that have already performed are marked with view counts, which are public counters on that account. Everything else is untested on her feed so far, because the bank is new. Before you pick, know that personal videos like these usually gather fewer views than a viral reel. Measure them by saves, sends, comments, profile visits and follows.

Each one has a format. Voice-over means you film the process and record the words later at home, as many times as you like. On camera means you talk, either to the lens or while doing something else.

If you teach

A competitor who coaches has two audiences in the same account, and studios notice.

1. "I teach beginners. The first thing I fix is their arms." On camera, with close-ups of hands and elbows, and why a judge sees arms before feet.
2. "These are the three basics I drill with every beginner until they're automatic." On camera, one big title per basic and five seconds of showing it.
3. "My coach told me this every single day. Now I say it to my students." Voice-over.
4. "Here's what actually happens in a first lesson with me." Voice-over, in order: the hello, a posture game, first steps, the bow.
5. "I let my students ask me anything." On camera. Film them from behind or show only hands.
6. "This is my student in week 1. Now watch week 8." Voice-over, same movement twice.
7. "I started teaching, and it completely changed how I dance." On camera.

Your own training

1. "Training diary, day 12. Today's one correction:" On camera, right after practice, one or two sentences. Turn it into a series.
2. "I've been stuck on this one move for a month. Here's what's going wrong." Part two comes when you say "I finally got it."
3. "I watched the best Latin couples in the world and stole one thing." Hands, feet or eyes from one couple, then your attempt.
4. "Four hours of practice in one outfit. Here's what I wear and where I get it." On camera at the mirror.

Your kit

Only include what you really use, and say the brand out loud. If it was a gift, label it, even when no money changed hands. These are the videos that show a company its category already lives on your account, a point I cover in the media kit article.

1. "Competition hair takes hours. Here's everything I actually use." Gel, spray, pins, net, detangler. The hairspray reels on that account reached 2.3M and 1.8M.
2. "Competition makeup does not come off with just water." Step by step, plus what didn't work.
3. "Yes, ballroom dancers tan for competitions. Here's how I put it on and how I get it off." Tanning reels there reached 964K and 600K.
4. Shoe care with no talking at all. Brush, suede, the sound. An ASMR version reached 313K.

Ballroom explained to people who've never danced

Many viewers of a viral dance reel don't dance. On that account 69% of followers are adults. A dancer who explains the floor to them becomes the person they think of when they think of ballroom.

1. "Why do ballroom dancers make those faces?" Same step twice, blank and in character. The emotion is part of the dance and has to read across a large room.
2. "Why do ballroom dancers use so much hairspray? Let me show you."
3. "People always ask why ballroom dresses cost so much. Here's the answer."
4. "Ever wondered how a competition actually works? Here it is in 30 seconds." Numbers on backs, rounds, judges, who moves on. Voice-over.
5. A series, one reel per dance, voice-over: "Let me explain samba the way a competitor sees it." Samba from Brazil, cha-cha and rumba from Cuba, paso doble drawn from the bullfight with the man as matador and the woman as his cape, jive from American swing. Say what each one feels like and what's hardest.
6. "My favorite and least favorite Latin dance, and why." A natural end to the series.

Picks

1. "This is the playlist that gets me through every practice." Warm-up, technique by dance tempo, and one just for fun.
2. "These are the channels I watch to improve my technique." The WDSF YouTube channel has full championship finals, and the WDSF site has rankings and results, so you can find who's leading your category.
3. "If you're just starting ballroom, follow these 3 dancers." One for technique, one for musicality, one for presentation. Tag them. It's a good way to start a real connection.

You, away from the floor

1. "It's 1 a.m., I'm taking my comp hair out, so let me tell you about the day I almost quit." On camera. Probably the strongest structure on this page, because the process holds the viewer while the story lands. A reel about taking down comp hair was among the account's biggest.
2. "This medal has a story nobody knows."
3. From the passenger seat, on the way there or back: "On my way to a competition. Here's how I really feel," or "Driving home. Let's be honest about today." Rate the day from 1 to 10, and skip it on days when you don't feel like talking.

Where I'd begin

Don't try all of these. I'd start with four, one of each kind: number 25 for a story, number 3 as your easiest voice-over, number 16 to explain the sport, and number 2 when you're ready to teach on camera. Give each video one job. A video can show you as a coach, as an athlete or as a person, and if it attempts all three, it won't do any of them well.

Open with a line that has already worked for you, then go somewhere new. A reel that begins "Hairspray smell always takes me back" can continue with almost any personal story.

Before you post

• Written permission for any student in the frame, and no names on screen or in the audio. Take the video down if someone changes their mind.
• Geotag only once you've left. Never mention a weekly routine.
• Nothing about weight or diets.
• Check costume angles frame by frame before they go up.
• Read my notes on event footage and music rights before using competition video, and especially before a brand is involved.

If you'd like someone to pick the right ten for you, write the scripts and direct the filming, that's my account growth work.