Are you a ballroom dancing enthusiast? Are you dating a ballroom dancer? If so, you need to read this article from Go Ballroom Dancing . The season finale of "Dancing With the Stars" is just around the corner. In case you've been living in a cave with no internet access for the past 15 years, DWTS is a reality show competition where celebrities are paired up with professional dancers and compete every week in front of a television audience. At the end of each season, one celebrity is crowned champion and awarded bragging rights for 12 months. I must admit that I don't watch DWTS religiously, but when my fiancé won tickets to an advance screening of Disney's latest release "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," we jumped at the chance to get dressed up and see a movie in 70mm IMAX (and oh, how did we dress for that one! We went all out. The entire date was like a scene right out of Pretty Woman). Afterwards, we decided to stay and check out the Celebrity 5K Nighttime Run presented by Children's Hospital Los Angeles, which included world-renowned DJ Richard Blade as master of ceremonies for the evening. As Richard blared his dance tunes from an elevated stage situated between the starting line and the finish line, over 1000 participants gathered around. All but about 80% were dressed casually: shorts and tank tops mostly. Then came our cue and waltzed into the mix to stake out our territory (I'm dating an American Ballroom dancer, after all). Soon enough, I met contestants from Hollywood Squares, center judges for So You Think You Can Dance and even a primetime television actor. I guess dating a ballroom dancer has its perks! While my fiancé waited in line at the no-host bar for beverages, I mingled with the crowd. As expected, men outnumbered women by 5:1. And to be honest? All of them were not much taller than me (5'6" in heels) and didn't look much different than any other Los Angeles guys that you would see walking down Fairfax or Melrose on any given day. The one difference I did notice among the men who were there? They all seemed to bounce around like they needed to pee. "So... this is Ballroom dating, eh?" I thought to myself with a slight chuckle. "Well then, I Best Best Man Ever shall enjoy every minute of it!" And that's when it hit me (like one of those crazy freestyle lifts in Latin dance competition circuits): dating someone with completely different interests than you can be very rewarding if done properly! - After dating my fiancé for over 3 years, 4 months and 20 days now, he has more than earned bragging rights on his side of the street. Oh the stories I could tell... but won't. Let's just say that dating a ballroom dancer isn't all Waltzes and Tango… not by any stretch of the imagination. But what I can share with you are some dating tips to help make dating someone else who dances (ballroom, swing, salsa or hip-hop) much easier on your part. You'll be surprised at how many people you know dance these days! - First things first: find out if your date is willing to work around YOUR schedule. None of us has time to go dancing every night (and if we do, something must be terribly wrong). So unless you plan on dating someone who practices during the day or otherwise works flexible hours themselves, remember this cardinal rule: BE FLEXIBLE! Schedule dating time accordingly. - Secondly, find out what style of dance your date practices. Does she prefer Tango? Salsa? Swing? Waltz? Rumba? This will help you in knowing to take her to the salsa club instead of tango dancing (unless she is cool with both). - And finally, ask them what kind of music they like when dating someone who dances. I'm not saying that you need to play VACO Martin on your iPhone when dating my fiancé; but pop, rap and hip hop are all well and good when dating someone else (if that's your thing). But jazz isn't too bad either (and actually might impress them if done correctly), especially Benny Goodman or Benny Hill. Once you've got the dating basics down, there are other important dating tips that will also help in your dating life with someone who dances: - If dating an International Latin Dancer (one who practices International Style of ballroom dancing), know that practicing for competitions is TAXING on their body and schedule. You can still invite them to go out with friends at least once during the week if possible; it will make them much happier than staying home alone for the evening. - If dating a Standard Dancer (one who practices American Style of ballroom dancing), know that they train hard when competing and attending dance events. It's no easy task when proper technique has to be learned properly or else it's a surefire way of landing on your butt in front of a thousand people... yikes! If they can't go out with you due to their training schedule, patience is key. Sometimes dating a Standard dancer requires dating at odd hours during the day or night when most people are sleeping! - If dating an International Latin Dancer , know that if she wins her dance category at any event, she may become difficult to tolerate for a full 24-48 hours afterwards. This is because winning has exciting effects on the body and mind; it also brings relief from the stress of competition itself. Trust me on this one: I'm dating an International Latin Ballroom dancer myself! All in all, dating someone who dances