Don't envy us too much; doing the hustle is a lonely calling in a city fixated on fox trot and swing. Without a community of fellow dancers, we have nowhere to practice between lessons and no opportunity to study other hustlers' techniques and style. That's why we found ourselves considering the Hustle Dance Cruise 2004, a four-day Caribbean jaunt replete with lessons and dance parties. Even better, the hustle contingent would be part of a much larger Royal Caribbean trip, so if we tired of the dance floor there would be plenty of other things to do.

Before I began taking ballroom dancing lessons last year, I thought dance-related travel was only for the seriously obsessed. Actually, there's a range of trips aimed at casual dancers, people who want to go somewhere sunny or exotic and pick up some new moves along the way. Most dance tours offer a relatively equal male-female ratio and a mix of classes at different levels. Dance travel offers an active, social holiday with fellow aficionados.

For Mary and Ken Mote of Robins, Iowa, an annual trip to dance camp in Las Vegas was a chance to brush up their steps and see the latest Vegas shows. Also, Ms. Mote said, "Being from Iowa, we don't usually have the opportunity to meet this many dancers."

Dance travel (like ballroom dancing itself) attracts participants of all ages. Most people on last year's Hustle Cruise were in their 20's, 30's or 40's, and in the very active DanceVision dance camp described below, participants are mostly in their 30's, 40's or 50's.

Floating Dance Floor

Cruises remain the most popular form of dance travel. Organizers book space on a large ship and hold daytime lessons and socials. At night, when the ballrooms are open to everyone, there's a chance to dance to live music and show off.

"Let's Dance" Cruises, (800) 591-1868; www.letsdancecruises.com, a travel agency in Franklin, Tenn., organizes about 10 dance trips a year, mainly on Norwegian Cruise Lines. "Let's Dance" hires at least one male dance host for every three women traveling without dance partners.

Barbara Wheeler of San Antonio recently returned from a seven-night trip through the western Caribbean organized by "Let's Dance" Cruises. "I'd say I danced five to seven hours a day," Ms. Wheeler said. Her husband couldn't go so she went with a girlfriend; still, she never lacked a dance partner. A weeklong southern Caribbean cruise departs San Juan on March 7. Prices start at $1,100 a person in double occupancy in an inside cabin, including port charges and taxes but not air fare.

For the Love of Ballroom, (519) 351-4610, www.fortheloveofballroom.com, a dance studio based in Chatham, Ontario, will offer its first cruise, a trip through the western Caribbean, April 25 to May 2. The trip departs Miami on Voyager of the Sea, operated by Royal Caribbean. So far most inquiries have been from couples, with single enrollees "dead even" in terms of the sexes, Mr. Bourdeau said. "In that type of environment, there's very little sitting," he said. Prices start at $1,345 Canadian a person in double occupancy in an inside cabin, including port charges and taxes but not air fare.

The Hustle Dance Cruise takes place Feb. 13 to 16. Set on the Majesty of the Seas, of Royal Caribbean, the program includes 15 hours of workshops and 25 hours of social dancing, as well as two cocktail parties and a competition. Prices for an inside cabin start at $350, including the dance package and meals. Port charges are an additional $114.45; (800) 503-9600, or visit www.hustlecruise.com.

For those who prefer a landlocked holiday, there are tours that emphasize destination as much as dancing. Travelers learn from experts and see local dancers performing regional specialties. Dance Holidays, a tour company based in Sussex, England, is the dominant operator, offering dozens of trips each year to locales in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere. Spain is particularly popular; students can study flamenco in Córdoba, tango in Sitges or salsa in Barcelona. Programs range from two nights to two weeks and include at least two hours of dance instruction every day as well as nightly outings to dance spots. About 30 percent of participants are beginners and more than two-thirds are traveling alone. (When disparities between the sexes arise, the company hires local dancers to join classes.) Two-night salsa weekends in Barcelona start at $596 a per person (at $1.78 a pound), including hotel, breakfasts and round trip flight from London. Land-only rates are available by request. Information: (44-1293) 527722, www.danceholidays.com.

Jive and Ski

Some tours mix dancing with other pursuits. The British outfit Dance and Ski, (44-7957) 383269, www.danceandski.co.uk, holds an annual weeklong trip during which guests hit the slopes all day and study ceroc (also known as French jive dancing) at night. This year's trip is March 5 to 12 at the Alpe d'Huez resort in France. Prices start from $1,226 a person, double occupancy, and include return flight from London, six days' lift passes, breakfast, dinners and three dance nights.

While tours and cruises offer plenty of distractions, camps pack a lot of lessons into a short period. At Dance Vision's five-day Dance Camp Las Vegas, there are eight sessions a day, each focusing on a style like rumba, cha-cha, swing, waltz, tango, fox trot and quickstep with each session at four levels, from beginner to advanced. After the dancing, "The second draw is Las Vegas," said Wayne Eng, president of Dance Vision. "They get to take the lessons during the day, and in the nighttime there's everything else to do."

The next Dance Camp Las Vegas is June 13 to 18. Rates for four days of classes, a welcome reception, closing banquet and five nights at the Gold Coast Hotel are $599 a person, double occupancy; $100 more for a single room; (800) 851-2813, www.dancevision.com.

The sixth annual Northeast Winter Dance Camp, run by the Massachusetts chapter of the United States Amateur Ballroom Association, will be held from March 5 to 7 at the Sheraton Hyannis Resort on Cape Cod. Rooms start at $99 (single or double); the camp itself is $265; (603) 219-3590, www.massabda.org.

Ballroom Vermont holds a five-day camp at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel in Killington, Vt., July 25 to 30. While it's possible to dance for nearly eight hours a day, many participants take breaks. "One of our regulars plays golf every afternoon between courses," said its organizer, Peggi Elfe. "We usually lead a hike in the morning; some people take time out to sit by the pool or go antiquing." The cost, including accommodation, lessons, dances, breakfasts and dinners, is $2,299 per couple and $1,549 per single; (800) 242-8785 or visit www.ballroomdancecamp.com.

These are just some of the options. More trips can be found online or through dance organizations and studios. And you line dancers, belly dancers and others need not, like us hustlers, feel alone.

Source: NY Times