from Disney dreams to Dance Floor reality
By Maria Oprea | Culture | April 29, 2026
Cover Illustration: Kazuo Ota, 2026.
Looking for a new hobby? Soft news reporter Maria Oprea explores the world of ballroom dancing: what defines it, why it captivates people and where to try it in Amsterdam, with insights from local dancers.
Have you ever strived for those princess moments from Disney when you were little? Or the moment you’ll actually be a prince on a white horse? Well, I have a solution for you, but only without the white horse, and with one promise: you will not lose your shoes. Or, if you simply want to try something a bit fancier than padel, basketball or swimming, you should keep reading.
Welcome to the world of ballroom dancing, a realm that is open to people of any age, any experience level, at any time. This article is your beginner’s guide to what ballroom dancing is, what styles exist and where you can try it in Amsterdam. You will also hear from a few AmsterDance beginners about what keeps them coming back.
If you ask Google, it will give you a plain, dull explanation that you might stop reading halfway through, “a partnered, structured form of social and competitive dance originating in Europe and the US, characterized by graceful and, at times, energetic movements.”
Lost you already? Now check out my version: ballroom dancing, also called sportive dancing, is a competitive and social sport in which you match with a partner and dance.
Pretty easy so far, right? And because it is partner based, there are two roles: leader and follower. The whole thing works because you are building something together in real time.
Because you can feel progress fast and you feel it with someone else, not just on your own. If I had to choose three ingredients that keep people in it, they would be passion, energy and consistency. You can have the most dramatic outfit in the room, but what really makes ballroom satisfying is how clearly you can feel yourself improving. One week, you are guessing the rhythm. A few weeks later, your body starts to remember.
What makes ballroom different from many other dance styles is that you are dancing with a partner and the focus is on technique. You are not only learning the steps, but also how to move as a whole, how to lead or follow and how to keep the connection clean even when the music speeds up.
I did not really understand the magic when I was younger because I mostly danced solo, while ballroom is made for pairing up. Coming back to it in the Netherlands, where partner dancing is the center of everything, changed the sport for me completely. Here I found more leaders than followers, whereas in Romania, where I previously danced, there were more than 15 followers and only 2 leaders. That one difference changes the whole experience. In the Netherlands, you end up dancing more, meeting more people, and it feels more playful. In Romania, for me, it felt stricter and more focused on technique and progress.
There are two main genres, Latin and Standard, and ten dances in total:
In Latin, the five dances are Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Samba, and Paso Doble.
In Standard, the five dances are Slow Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, and Slowfox.
To truly understand the contrast, you have to see the movement in action. You can feel the sharp, rhythmic energy of International Latin ballroom or the sweeping, elegant grace of International Standard, which defines the sport’s classic roots.
But the difference is not the list. It is the feeling. Latin is more energetic, rhythmic and explosive, while Standard is usually more smooth, elegant and slow. If you want the princess feeling, Standard is definitely for you. If you want it to be more energetic, Latin is your shot.
Do not worry about these details yet. If you begin ballroom dancing, you usually get to try and practise all the dances before focusing on one style.
The magic behind this sport, at least in the Netherlands, is that there are lots of associations and events where you can improve your technique, meet new people and maybe even find your soulmate.
The most common events are called social dances: a studio with disco lights and ballroom music, where you can invite anyone to the dancefloor or just talk to people as much as you want. It is similar to clubbing but for dancers. For an hour and a half, it feels like the world stops, while you are just counting one, two, three – one, two, three.
And let us not forget the galas and ballroom events, the fancy dresses and the princess shoes. Keeping that gala dress you wore once in the closet? Or that black suit you spent way too much money on?
This is your moment to make it shine. In the Netherlands, every dancer is waiting for spring, when there are galas almost every weekend in different cities – and you are welcome to join, no matter your dance level!
If socials are the weekly routine, competitions are the big weekends.
One of dancers’ favourite parts of the year is competitions. Student competitions are organized every three months and are either happening in The Netherlands or outside it. Besides the fun trip you can take with your friends, you get three days full of dance, no matter if you are a beginner level dancer or an advanced dancer.
The rhythm of the weekend is simple: Daytime is for the competition, nighttime is for fun. The competition is held during the weekend: Saturday is Standard and Sunday is Latin. Every night there are social dances and there’s a party all night long, from 8 p.m. until sunrise.
From what I know, some beginner-friendly places in Amsterdam include AmsterDance. It is an association affiliated with both VU and UvA. They have two courses you can take: Beginner for six months, then Silver for six months. Their classes are held at either USC Universum or VU Sportcentrum. Another beginner option is Kluver. They have multiple courses, starting from beginner level.
As a beginner, you will learn the basics of three dances out of five from both genres, so six dances in total. You get to learn where each dance comes from, the rhythm and how you actually dance it with a partner. You will also have the chance to interact a lot and get to tick off another new thing on your activities list.
If you are looking for something more advanced, after completing Beginner and Silver, studios such as Floorcraft and CanDance are two options people often mention for continuing to progress. Most of the places mentioned above are used to working with international students, and classes are usually offered in English. Start dates are often in September or February, but it is not a strict rule, so it is worth checking the current schedule on their websites.
“In most places (…) you needed to sign up as a couple (…) and for the one in Amsterdam, it was encouraged that you joined without a couple (…) when I saw no partner needed, I was like, okay, great thing.”
To check if I was the only one who fell into this world, I asked four AmsterDance students what ballroom dancing feels like. What I noticed quickly is that everyone walks in through a different door, but they end up staying for the same reason: It turns something that looks fancy into something you can enjoy doing.
Karo’s door had movie vibes. “We started with a movie. Shall we dance (…) and that was about Tango.” But what keeps her going now is the energy: “I just really love the jive energy (…) Amazing music, high energy (…) I can express my enthusiasm and just get you tired. So I feel like I’ve done something.”
Albert’s door was the most relatable one: The classic problem, no partner. “In most places (…) you needed to sign up as a couple (…) and for the one in Amsterdam, it was encouraged that you joined without a couple (…) when I saw no partner needed, I was like, okay, great thing.”
Then George described the part nobody tells you about at the start. After the first weeks, it is not only about learning steps, it is about learning people. You get used to one person’s style, then you switch and you have to adapt again, because everyone moves a little differently.
Summing up, Ananay described the feeling of the whole thing: “very fluid (..) it ebbs and flows.” For him, it is also the atmosphere: “ballroom dancing is a quite close community (..) it’s more elegant (…) also you burn some calories, like it’s actually a sport.”
That is the full picture for me. A movie scene, a social space, a mini workout and a skill you build by learning how to move with different people.
If you are wondering whether it is worth trying, here is my honest answer: yes. I came back to the ballroom in Amsterdam after a long break and now I practise almost every day because it clears my head like nothing else.
If any part of this sounded like you, try one beginner class and one social dance. You do not need to be good. You just need to show up, count one, two, three and let the rest happen.
Maria Oprea is a university student in Amsterdam. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Amsterdammer.
