Shall we dance: Nathan Daniels' grand ballroom sweep.

Boxing champ Evander Holyfield's fancy footwork on the TV show Dance with the Stars didn't earn him first prize, but the surge in attention ballroom dancing is receiving is a big win, according to Nathan "Hawes" Daniels. "I've noticed increased numbers in spectators and competitors." Daniels, a ballroom coach and adjudicator with 28 years teaching experience, judges eight competitions per year and is the co-artistic director of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based Beyond Ballroom Dance Co. (www.beyondballroom.org) and dance director of Liscio Dance.

After earning his B.A. in sociology and economics from Duke University, Daniels, 48, was discovered on a nightclub dance floor in Long Island, New York. "Six weeks later." he recalls. "[after] intensive training in dance and sales, I was a dance teacher."

Daniels, a native of Richmond. Virginia, became a championship ballroom judge in 2003. Judges are ranked by the level of competition they adjudicate: amateurs, pros, national, or international championships. In 2001. he won the U.S. Rising Star Theatrical Championship, a prize that helped further his career goals. In this sport, says Daniels. "the more prestige you have the more money-making capability you have."

Choose your style. "Training involves instruction with a trained pro," offers Daniels. "I don't recommend publications and videos when you first, you need someone there to explain what to do."

There are five ballroom dancing categories: America Rhythm, America Smooth, International Latin. International Standard, and Theatrical. Within each category there are dance styles such as waltz, mambo, cha-cha, and rumba. Two of the most difficult are the fox-trot because of its technique and mambo because of its timing.

Commit to lessons. "I have student who have been taking lessons for 25 years," says Daniels, who suggest beginners start with a weekly one-hour class and practice one hour for every hour of instruction. Give yourself six month to become comfortable, he advises.

Private instruction ranges from #35-150 per hour and group lessons are $5-20 per hour depending on your city and the skill level of the instruction. Visit (www.ballroomdancers.com) to find instruction, partner, and studios nationwide.

Consider competing. Competition builds character, confidence, and sense of accomplishment, says Daniels. Judges who award placements or scores assess dancers' "timing, footwork, posture, connection to partner, and interpretation of music." Competition entrants pay $5-$50. The United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (www.usabda.org) maintains a calendar of competitions.