By: Joan Tupponce, Joan Tupponce & Associates, Inc.

Thanks to shows like "Dancing with the Stars" or "So You Think You Can Dance" ballroom dancing is on the upswing. People who pursue classes in ballroom dancing find that not only is it fun but it's also great exercise.

"Ballroom dancing has definitely gotten more popular because of those shows," observes Eleanor Robertson, owner of Rigby's Jig. "It's the hot thing to d

o now. We even have companies hire us for events." Robertson began her dance career at the age of 3.

"I started getting interested in ballroom and swing in high school," she says. "I went on to get a degree in theatre and dance from George Washington University."

Robertson enjoys teaching adults how to maneuver around the dance floor.

"Teaching is in my blood," she says. "Both my parents were teachers. I like teaching dance because I like being up on my feet dancing as opposed to being in an office."

Robertson's teaching schedule begins around noon and lasts until 9 or 10 p.m. Her workday is non-stop. "I teach back-to-back classes because I have a lot of clients," she says. "We do close on Sundays but not a lot of dance instructors do that."

Along with a passion for dance, ballroom instructors need to be good communicators and enjoy working with people.

"When I'm training instructors I tell them to think back to their best professors, the ones that communicated well," Robertson says. "You have to be able to understand people on a personal level."

Instructors get into the field through various paths. Some compete in ballroom and then turn to teaching when they retire from competition. Others receive special training that garners a teaching certificate from the National Ballroom Association or the Amateur Ballroom Association.

"A lot of it is dependent on your training," Robertson says. "I trained in Richmond and Washington, DC. under several different disciplines. A degree in dance helps, as well. People do take that very seriously. They take it into consideration when they are looking for an instructor."

There are growing job opportunities for ballroom dance instructors. They can work for a dance studio, cruise lines, resorts or they can open their own studio.

"We teach at resorts all the time," Robertson says.

One of the challenges that future instructors face is the time involved in training.

"The process to be a knowledgeable, skilled dancer will take a while, from months to years," Robertson says.

Some ballroom instructors are employees of the dance studio while others are independent contractors. "Ballroom studios are set up in different ways," Robertson explains. "Most people that teach dance do it on a part-time basis, as a secondary job. It's a great part-time job."

Robertson has met many fascinating people through her work.

"I feel very fortunate," she says, "that I can do something in the arts that I am passionate about."

Pull Quote: "Most people that teach dance do it on a part-time basis, as a secondary job."