The Pink Dancers are a Lesbian & Gay Ballroom & Latin Dance demonstration team formed in 1992. The Pink Dancers were the first dance team of this type. Now, there are several Same-Sex dance teams across the world and Team Dance has become a major competition within Same-Sex competitions such as the World Outgames and Gay Games.
Pink Dancers have travelled to Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris & other cities to give performances of their unique style of formation Ballroom & Latin dancing. They have performed at various Stonewall Charity Balls & even given a demonstration at the Labour party conference in 1997.
The group is made up of amateur dancers who come together to weave intricate patterns on the dance floor, often changing partners & breaking down traditional gender restrictions, presenting different combinations of leading & following roles, incorporating women leading men, women leading women, men leading men etc.
The Pink Dancers were formed in 1992 originally to give a small performance at a birthday party. At this time there were 4 members. There have been 54 members of Pink Dancers over the years, many of whom came together for the 21st Year of Pink Dancers in 2012.
Its historical context is of importance as it was a very early very visible representation of lesbian & gay Ballroom & Latin Dance performing out in the mainstream. Pink Dancers were the first Same-Sex dance team to perform on the main stage of the ‘Move it’ Festival in 2000 and was acclaimed as the top 3 highlighted moments of that first ‘Move It’. The age range of the dancers are 30s-60s so it was described in the reviews as ‘Middle Age Mischief.’
The Choreographer & founder of the group is Ralf Schiller, who was responsible for starting the very first Gay Ballroom & Latin Dance Classes at the former London Lesbian & Gay Centre in 1989 and is the director of ‘The Kensington Dance Studio’. He is the Teacher at ‘The Pink Jukebox’. Currently the group has 14 members and is available for performances at Balls, Charity Dances, Parties & other functions.
Please contact Jacky Logan on 07715 421 349 if you would like to arrange for the Pink Dancers to perform at your function.
All photos on this page are from the 2017 European Championships, which took place in Berlin in July 2017. Photographer: A R Fotographie. Used with permission.